As Rice Sales Drop, Japan Tries to Spark Interest by Making It ”Exotic”
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Japan has been the base of Japanese diets for millennia, but now it seems consumers need a little foreign inspiration to boost sales.
In Japan, the unthinkable has happened. Rice, the staple food of the Japanese diet since ancient times, is seeing a decrease in demand. While many households still eat rice with just about every meal, and the ingredient is still at the heart of Japanese cooking, Japanese food culture isn't quite the same as it once was. Recent decades have brought an increase in both the availability of and interest in foreign cuisines that use less of the short-grain glutenous white rice that the farmers of Japan have been growing for centuries, and even more recent years have brought a wave of health-conscious (and carbohydrate-avoidant) trends to the daily diet of many people around Japan. The, perhaps inevitable, consequence of these changes is clear: rice isn't selling as well as it used to.
According to data published by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Japanese market still consumed a whopping 7 million tons of rice over the course of a year between 2020 and 2021. But while that may seem like plenty, the reality is that the quantity of rice consumed in Japan has been steadily dropping over the past decade. Ten years ago, the total rice consumption by the people of Japan totaled more than 8 million tonsーwhich means the quantity has decreased by more than a million tons by this past year. That's a big difference for Japan's rice farmers.
So, what kind of moves can the rice growers and promoters of Japan make to encourage diners and home cooks around Japan, and hopefully increase rice consumption? Well, one of many new initiatives comes from Tabe Choku, an online retailer specializing in facilitating sales of groceries and ingredients from Japan's farmers and food producers directly to consumers. Seeing the same drop in rice sales as other grocers around Japan, Tabe Choku is trying to stir up interest in this blase ingredient, and to do that they're borrowing a little bit of exotic charm from the likes of… France!
France may not be famous for rice-based cuisine like the cultures of Asia, or even have a star offering like Italy's luscious rice-based risotto, but French cuisine holds a certain undeniable charm in Japan, where French restaurants are a go-to choice for fancy dinners, and French-style patisseries offer more or less authentic pastries all over the country. And so, when it came to reinventing simple white rice and granting it new mystique, Tabe Choku turned to French-Japanese chef Claire Kamiya for some inspiration. In the end, the solution they came up with was a simple French rice pudding, dubbed "riz au lait."
Beginning at the end of September, Tabe Choku will be initiating their riz au lait project by providing Kamiya's own recipe for the simple dish for free, sending the rice pudding recipe to participating rice farmers, and inviting them to include the information along with their rice when they ship it to waiting customers. The exotically seductive prospect of this foreign French dessert, they hope, will tempt consumers to buy more rice and expand their home cooking repertoires.
Of course, this riz au lait project isn't the only rice-forward initiative to come from Tabe Choku or other Japanese rice promoters, and many more unique rice-based recipes and products are in the works. But who knows, maybe the simple, sweet flavor of this easy rice-and-milk recipe will find fans among the children of Japan or explode in popularity among the country's heavy social media users, and become a catalyst for a new boom of rice interest in Japan. In the meantime, those with an interest in riz au lait can consider buying a new sack of rice for this special recipe… or just google "riz au lait" and follow one of the many recipes that instantly pop up.
For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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Kansai (関西) is a region that includes Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga Prefectures. Kansai contained Japan's ancient capital for hundreds of years, and it's making a comeback as one of the most popular parts of Japan. Kyoto's temples and shrines, Osaka Castle, and the deer of Nara are all considered must-sees. Plus, the people of Kansai are especially friendly, making it a fun place to hang out.
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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