Spam Onigiri: How Spam Migrated to Hawaii and Japan

Love it or hate it, Spam is one of those American foods whose versatility has made it a staple in several countries, including Japan. Nowadays, Spam and Spam rice balls aren’t an uncommon sight in Japanese convenience stores. But once upon a time you could only find Spam in import stores. So how did Spam make its way into Japanese cuisine in the first place?

Spam Origins and WWII

Produced by the American company Hormel Foods, the canned luncheon meat debuted in 1937 to contend with rampant food scarcity during the Great Depression. The “spiced ham” was originally marketed to housewives as a cheaper protein alternative to refrigerated meat. Spam expanded beyond its target demographic thanks to the US military, as its compact size and long shelf life made it an ideal inclusion in military rations.

Spam followed US soldiers overseas during WWII, taking on a life of its own in military culture and generating enough ire to embolden many to send hate mail to Hormel Foods [1]. Sadly, for many Japanese Americans, Spam became linked to years spent in American concentration camps during WWII, where Spam sushi and other fusion dishes helped balance out otherwise bland rations [2].

Hawaii and the Birth of Spam Musubi

We can’t talk about Spam without talking about Hawaii, birthplace of the famed fusion Spam musubi. Japanese food, including rice balls, had long been part of island cuisine thanks to the large ethnic Japanese population.

The US military presence meant an abundance of Spam and other canned rations. But other factors contributed to Spam’s unprecedented popularity in Hawaii. National security concerns prompted the government to impose increasingly severe restrictions on off-shore fishing. This effectively crippled the livelihoods of many Japanese Americans.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, fish and other meat were even harder to come by, and Spam rations . became more precious than gold as island residents hoarded whatever they could [1].

Food scarcity remained an issue in post-war Hawaii, and Spam became an integral ingredient in fusion dishes born to counter a weakened culinary landscape. The woman credited for creating rectangular-shaped Spam musubi is Japanese-American Barbara Funamura, who created the compact snack in 1983 while managing a restaurant on Kauai. Spam musubi combined a grilled or caramelized slice of Spam with a block of plain sushi rice and a belt of dried seaweed [1].

Okinawa and Spam

The war, especially the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, left thousands of Okinawans displaced with inadequate access to shelter and food. The arrival and subsequent occupation of the US military meant an influx of unfamiliar American foods like Spam.

To starving survivors like Isa Junko, who spent most of her life recounting her wartime experiences, any food was better than none. “I remember the GIs handing out rations like canned corned beef and Spam. We Okinawans weren’t used to food like that, but we ate it without complaint. We were hungry [3].”

Like Hawaii, food insecurity was still prevalent in Okinawa’s post-war years. Spam was just one of many American imports that embedded itself in a land that already suffered colonization by the Japanese.

As pork consumption was already popular in Okinawa, Spam easily integrated itself into Okinawa’s diverse culinary landscape. The most popular variety of the stir fry dish chanpuru (チャンプルー) combines Spam, egg, tofu, vegetables like carrots and bean sprouts, and goya, the Ryukyuuan word for bitter melon. Spam is also popular in pork and egg onigiri (ポーク卵おにぎり), also called Okinawan Spam musubi.

Brand-name Spam is the by far the most popular processed canned meat. But the Denmark brand Tulip has given Spam a run for its money in Okinawa. According to one small survey, many prefer Tulip for its less intense flavoring [4].

Musubi vs. Onigiri: What’s the Difference?

Spam onigiri, Spam musubi… what’s the difference, really? Just like all the different words for soft drinks in the States (I call it soda), musubi and onigiri are interchangeable terms for rice ball that vary by region and personal preference. For example, onigiri is more common in Kyushu and Okinawa, and both musubi and onigiri are popular in Shikoku, the Kanto region, and Hokkaido [5].

Names aside, ingredients and rice ball structures also differ. Okinawan Spam onigiri uses a variety of luncheon meat brands like Tulip. But Hawaiian Spam musubi almost exclusively uses the brand-name Spam. In Okinawa, Spam and fried egg are typically wrapped in rice and nori like a sandwich [6]. While typical triangular Spam onigiri exist, the Hawaiian Spam musubi structure tends to be the most popular.

Spam’s Late Arrival in Japan

Nowadays you’ll find Spam in most markets in Japan, but it wasn’t always that easy to find. While Spam took off in Okinawa, it actually didn’t officially enter the mainland Japanese market until 2008 [7].

Just as they did in 1937, Hormel Foods made their target demographic housewives in their 30s and 40s. Burger King Japan helped boost Spam popularity when it introduced Spam sliders in 2011, and a Spam and cheese burger in its breakfast menu in 2014 [8].

In 2020, Family Mart released an exclusive Spam Musubi Tuna Mayonnaise — marketed as an Okinawan novelty — in the Kanto region. It was an instant success, and the chain rolled it out nationwide in 2021 [9], effectively cementing Spam into the Japanese culinary scene for good.

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Sources

[1] Hunger for Power and Self-Sufficiency: How Colonialism Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention during World War II. Ebook.

[2] Mealtime in the Mess Halls. The National WWII Museum.

[3] Women of Okinawa: Nine Voices from a Garrison Island. Google Books.

[4] スパム派？ チューリップ派？ 沖縄県民のソウルフード「ポーク」を調査！. Kakaku.

[5] おにぎりとおむすびの違い. Onigiri Japan.

[6] これは、沖縄系ポークむすび？ハワイ系スパムむすび？. note.

[7] SPAM、日本市場へ72年目の本格上陸. IT Media.

[8] Burger King introduces SPAM and cheese burger in Japan, for breakfast. Odd News via Wayback Machine.

[9] 沖縄発祥の「SPAMむすび」全国で人気　ファミマの月間売り上げ1位に！. Ryukyu Shimpo.