Premium rice cookers in Japan draw consumers looking to cook stockpiled rice

Straits Times

2 days ago

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With the release from the government stockpile, consumers have been cooking with older rice more often.
TOKYO - Premium rice cookers are seeing brisk sales in Japan as consumers seek to prepare rice that is two or more years old and that came out of the government's stockpile.
Rice-polishing machines for home use are also attracting attention. Consumers are using the machines so they can enjoy older rice without a loss in quality.
At a store in Chuo Ward, Osaka, run by Edion, a mass retailer of home electronics, a sign above the rice cookers reads: 'Enjoy delicious rice, even stockpiled rice, with no hassle.'
'If I buy one, I want an advanced model that can even make stockpiled rice taste great,' said a 24-year-old company employee from Hirano Ward, Osaka.
The Edion group said that premium rice cookers, which use high heat to produce fluffy rice, are a popular choice. Though prices for these models, which can cook 825g of rice at a time, start from 50,000 yen (S$433) more expensive models that cost over 100,000 yen have also sold well.
According to Japanese manufacturer Tiger Corporation, the average sales price for its rice cookers this year is 25,480 yen. That is up by 1,454 yen, or more than 6 per cent, from 2024.
'It seems that there is a sizable number of consumers who prioritise taste over prices,' said a company spokesperson.
With the release from the government stockpile, consumers have been cooking with older rice more often. Rice-polishing machines have been one way that consumers have prepared these older grains to be more appetising. Edion stores sales of the machines as of July increased two-fold compared to the same time in 2024.
Models that can both polish brown rice and shave the surface of white rice are performing strongly, according to Edion officials.
'By removing the oxidised surface, it's possible to make even old rice taste good,' said one Edion official.
It is believed that more consumers are obtaining unpolished rice from unique sources, such as their acquaintances, due to the high prices that have plagued the cereal, and rice-polishing machines for the home have seen increased use.
Iris Ohyama has seen its sales of home rice-polishing machines since January roughly double compared with the same time in 2024. Its current top seller allows users to select polishing options for about 40 rice brands, such as Koshihikari.
Iseki, which runs coin-operated rice mills across the country, said its mills have seen increased use. From January to March, user numbers were up about 10 per cent from 2024.
'A major reason for this is that farmers have offered their unpolished rice to family and acquaintances, bypassing distributors,' said an Iseki spokesperson. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK