The survey conducted by Corporation of Rice-Cooking of Japan, based at Toshima-ku, Tokyo, revealed that shipment of cooked rice has been increasing because of the growth of sales for home-meal replacement and dining-out in the country.
According to the interview-based survey carried out on its members of about 70 rice-cooking companies, the shipment of cooked rice by these companies totaled 185.2 thousand tons in 2015, 2.8 percent up over the previous year. Their shipment to convenience stores and super markets increased because “Onigiri (rice ball)” is enjoying a greater popularity among consumers.
Their annual marketing turnover of the cooked rice, which is estimated on the basis of 320 yen per one kilogram of the rice, increased to 59.3 billion yen, 2.9 percent up. The total use of milled rice also boosted to 84 thousand tons, 2.4 percent up. These figures have continued to increase over the previous year since 2014.
Out of the total marketing turnover in 2015, “stores of food products” such as convenience stores and super markets accounted for 57.9 percent, o.9 point up over the previous year.
“Our members of rice-cooking companies have been riding an “onigiri” boom and developed new products of “onigiri.” That really took effective,” a spokesman of the Corporation of Rice-Cooking of Japan said.