Anyone who’s been lucky enough to visit Japan has almost certainly made a pit stop at a 7-Eleven—and left with enough onigiri to feed a bus full of tourists. For the uninitiated, onigiri are rice balls stuffed with seafood or veggies and often wrapped in seaweed. It’s a culinary tradition that’s endured for centuries. Samurai would carry onigiri in a small satchel as they traveled the countryside, and today, on the distant shores of the Pacific Northwest, the snack is experiencing a newfound demand.

Leading the wave is Onigiri Sen—a Seattle company named not only to honor the food’s 1,000-year history, but also to suggest just how many you’ll want to devour (it’s a lot). Although the business has seen meteoric success in its first year, with viral social media marketing and prime placement on shelves in T&T Supermarket and PCC Community Markets, as well as at Mariners games, CEO Rina Oike won’t give in to complacency. In fact, she has big plans.

“This is the first I’m telling people, but this summer, I’m going to expand to California because T&T is opening in San Jose’s city center and in San Francisco,” Oike says. “When I get there, I have three stores already, writing the contract.” She credits the Canada-based Asian grocer with being an important early proponent, giving her onigiri significant real estate in its sushi section. “It definitely helped me so much at the beginning.”

There’s growth on the local front, too. Onigiri Sen sells to Lakeside School in Northgate, as well as the Pokémon office in Bellevue. Getting into Town & Country Markets is also in the works.

Oike grew up in Kagawa, Japan, where her parents prioritized organic, healthy food in the house. When she left to come to the U.S. at the age of 19, she kept that love for fresh, quality ingredients.

Her products utilize delicate and flavorful nori sourced from Ohmoriya, a seaweed manufacturer in Japan, and white rice from California. As for fillings, the variety makes eating onigiri fun. “So far I’ve learned that spicy tuna is the No.1 seller at any store, and salmon is No. 2,” she says. Bulgogi beef, unagi, shrimp mayo, and butter corn are also available. “And then, because of Washington state, smoked salmon cream cheese is famous here, right?” she notes. “I’m going to make that collaboration with PCC to start selling there and also [at] T-Mobile Park.”

Fittingly , one of baseball’s—and Japan’s—biggest stars, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was Oike’s inspiration to start Onigiri Sen in the first place. His obligations to sponsors back home often had him flashing that gleaming smile while holding onigiri. “I noticed it getting popular in the United States,” Oike says. “That was my vision. How can I bring that convenience style here not by owning a store, but by being = everywhere for grab-and-go?” So far, it’s been a hit with Seattle’s busy professionals and students, plus sports fans and the epicurious.

Onigiri Sen’s progress has been swift, a remarkable rise that’s a testament to the power of networking. Starting out, Oike only knew a few people in the industry, but once her foot was in the door, hard-earned connections to consultants and hospitality group executives opened opportunities to scale up.

From a less-than-75-square-foot kitchen, Onigiri Sen has since moved into a full-blown production facility in Woodinville. For now, the company only has a machine to make triangle-shaped onigiri, but Oike would like to add another to make a circular version without the seaweed.

You’d be foolish to doubt Oike’s vision, especially with the rousing momentum and support behind her. “My team is amazing,” she says. “They work really hard to make my vision into reality. I’m really proud of them, and I feel grateful that I can be here and share my culture—how I grew up. When I see people eating onigiri, saying that it’s so good, it makes me excited and happy.”