How a Japanese food truck turned an unknown dish into a local favourite

Shoji Umemura left his stable corporate job in 2006 to start a food truck business, selling nikumaki onigiri — a Japanese speciality virtually unknown in Australia at the time. Today, his bespoke trailer draws visitors from across the state for authentic Japanese street food.

Gold Coast resident Shoji Umemura has been selling nikumaki onigiri — a specialty from Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture — from his handmade trailer for 17 years. Credit: Shoji Uemura

When Gold Coast resident, Shoji Umemura left his stable corporate job in 2006 to start a food truck business, selling nikumaki onigiri — a local speciality from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture — those around him thought he was out of his mind.

Not only was nikumaki onigiri completely unknown in Australia, it was also long before food trucks became part of the Australian lifestyle.

He was 34 years old, and his wife, pregnant with their first child.

"I had close to zero experience in the kitchen too," recalls Shoji.

Shoji Umemura's handcrafted trailer (left), nikumaki onigiri (right) Credit: Nikumaki Honpo

Nikumaki onigiri is a rice ball wrapped in thin slices of pork, grilled and glazed with a sweet and savoury soy-based sauce.

It is believed to have originated in 1994 as a makanai (staff meal) at an izakaya in Miyazaki, allowing staff to grab a quick bite between busy shifts.

It’s a very innovative dish

Shoji Umemura

"Pork is rich in vitamin B12, with more than ten times the amount found in beef, and it’s also a great source of protein."

A passionate surfer, Shoji moved to the Gold Coast in 1995 and shaped his life around the ocean. So when his company ordered him to relocate to Sydney, giving up his Gold Coast lifestyle was never an option.

The morning surf has become Shoji's lifestyle for the past three decades. Credit: Shoji Umemura

"Then I remembered about a friend, who was managing a nikumaki onigiri store in Miyazaki, who once encouraged me to start one here in Australia."

Determined, Shoji placed his belongings into storage, and left to Japan to train firstly in the kitchen, then at the nikumaki onigiri speciality shop.

I was turned away countless times. No one wanted to hire me at 34

Shoji Umemura

While Shoji eventually managed to land a job and train in the kitchen, he was severely bullied.

"The senpai–kōhai (senior/junior) hierarchy was still very much alive. It was awful." he says.

But Shoji remained focused, his vision was clear.

Shoji’s vision for the trailer (left) and his idea for wrapping nikumaki onigiri (right). Credit: Shoji Umemura

After two years, Shoji returned to the Gold Coast, this time with his son.

But it took another full year before that vision finally become a reality.

Turned away at every stage

From building his bespoke trailer to sourcing rare cuts of pork and having it sliced to precise specifications, Shoji was turned away at every stage.

With food trucks still an emerging concept and regulations unclear, even council officials were unsure how to assess his plans, eventually granting approval.

A former architect in Japan, Shoji spent months going door to door with his meticulously designed trailer blueprints before an aircraft panel maker finally agreed to help—on the condition that he work alongside them.

"The trailer needed to carry my gas oven. I also wanted to serve customers at their eye level, unlike many food trucks today that serve from higher up."

Shoji designed and built his bespoke yellow trailer, which is still going strong after 17 years. Credit: Shoji Umemura

"My nikumaki onigiri uses very specific cut of pork. Only about 40 servings come from a single pig. The cut wasn’t standard in Australia, and no butchers knew how to prepare it. When I explained the process myself, I was ridiculed."

Despite the challenges, Shoji persisted, and finally opened his food truck, Nikumaki Honpo in 2008.

But selling an unfamiliar food in Australia was far from easy.

"Of course, no one had seen, heard of, or tasted nikumaki onigiri."

He says behind his determination and commitment was his family.

"I just had to make it work."

As the business gained stability, he expanded by opening a nikumaki onigiri shop in Brisbane, which ran successfully for ten years.

Today, he has returned to his roots, focusing solely on his food truck at the Gold Coast’s Palm Beach Farmers Market and HOTA Markets.

Customers travel from across the state for Shoji’s authentic nikumaki onigiri, often buying in bulk. Many are long-time regulars who return week after week.

"This is my favourite food. I’ve been having it for more than 13 years, almost weekly without fail," one customer says. "Thanks, Shoji. Truly unique food."

"I feel I’ve done all that I could," says Shoji.

"Now I just want to continue to share this dish with the community."