The historical elevation of rice prices in Japan has led retailers to seek alternatives, using cheaper ingredients such as barley and noodles in Bento meal boxes to limit prices and keep customers.
Some retailers expand the sale of foreign rice at low prices.
In March, the Lawson channel of convenience stores started selling the Okazudon! “Series of Bento products, which contain less rice but more spaghetti and accompaniment dishes to reduce costs while obtaining the volume.
Due to the outbreak of rice prices, “the sales development process has become more than twice as difficult than last year,” said President Sadanobu Takemasu.
Natural Lawson stores, targeting consumers concerned about their health, have started to mix mochimigi Holy hayer in rice for all refrigerated bento products, replacing a mixture of rice and minor grains used in products.
The barley is cheaper than rice and is good for adding volume. The company plans to use Mochimigi also in the products sold in regular Lawson stores.
Among the supermarket channels, Seiyu last November began to sell Taiwanese rice for 2,797 ¥ per 5 kilograms. The price has increased to ¥ 3,229 due to higher supply costs, but the product is still cheaper than general domestic rice.
Taiwanese rice “sells as soon as it appears on the shelves, and some stores suffer from continuous shortages,” said an official.
In April, Aeon began to sell the Nisui no Takumi rice brand, a mixture of 80% of cultivated American cultivated products and 20% of interior products. The price is ¥ 3002 per 4 kg.
The mixture has a “as good as domestic rice,” said a buyer.
