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Sosaku Onigiri: How Masami Brought Creative Japanese Onigiri to Shepherd's Bush
- NOVA ESEA
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
When we arrived at Sosaku Onigiri on a Saturday morning, Masami was mid-conversation with a regular. She smiled before I'd even introduced myself. The stall sits inside Shepherd's Bush Market, under a covered walkway, with a neat row of onigiri in dark packaging — each one shaped with a care that tells you something about the person who made it.
Sosaku means creative in Japanese. Masami chose the name deliberately because that's exactly what she wanted her onigiri to be.
"I do only one type of dish... Onigiri. I want to do that thing well and beautifully and it's not about quantity. It's about taking a pleasure in the perfection and beauty of the particular."
This captures everything about how this stall operates.
From Hanami Picnics to Shepherd's Bush Market
Masami came to London at 23 for a trip and never left. She's been in Shepherd's Bush for thirteen years, and the neighbourhood is now home.
Before the stall, there were picnics. She'd been making onigiri for cherry blossom hanami gatherings for years; the rice ball was never just food. It was the thing her mother made when she was a child and refused to eat rice from a bowl. Her mother shaped the rice into a triangle to make it fun, and it worked.
"My first onigiri was from my mother," she says. "The onigiri reminded me of my childhood."
A Menu Built on Surprise
The menu is where Masami's philosophy becomes most visible. She started with traditional Japanese ingredients — ume poshi, takana, and kombu seaweed- but quickly found that London customers weren't familiar with those flavours on their own. So she looked for combinations that bridged the gap.
Kombu pairs with black truffle mushrooms. Ume poshi, salty and sharp, gets balanced with miso. The seasonal specials go further: aubergine with miso and harissa, for example. Her husband helps develop and test every new combination, and she says that 75% of their conversations are about food.
"The first bite, every bite — something like a fast bite. And the second bite, a fat bite, discovering something different from inside."
She wants every onigiri to surprise. At Shepherd's Bush Market, she's still explaining to some customers what onigiri is. Early on, people called it sushi. Some asked if it was food. Slowly, they kept coming back.
The 7-11 Business
A market stall day starts at 7am: rice preparation, fillings, shaping, packaging, travel, then serving until 6pm. When Masami gets home, she prepares for the next day. Her husband calls it the 7-11 business.
What keeps her going is the customer who buys one, eats it ten metres down the path, then turns around. When regulars come back, she knows it's working.
Being part of the ESEA community in London has felt similar, a warmth that's taken time to grow, but is very much there. Just like family.
"It's always surprising and adventurous," she says. "I love that."
Have you tried Sosaku Onigiri, or is it on your list? Tell us below 👇
🎥 Check our interview video below
Find Them
📍 Shepherd's Bush Market, London W12 8DF
🕒 Monday - Saturday12–6pm
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