Convenience Store Onigiri Battle Amid Rising Rice Prices
Nori Bento Nigirishita became a hit, with 3.5 million units sold in 3 years!
The price of rice continues to rise. According to the consumer price index (CPI) released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on November 22, rice prices have increased by 58.9%. In the midst of this, with essential ingredients like nori also seeing price hikes, the convenience store onigiri continues to evolve, which is a promising development.
Despite these tough conditions, convenience store onigiri has generated a new trend of larger-sized products. Seven-Eleven launched the “Doon to Omusubi” series, which is twice the size of a regular onigiri. Lawson also offers “Large Onigiri” that can fill you up with one, and FamilyMart introduced the “Mega Omusubi,” which has 180g of rice (1.5 times the usual amount).
A notable trend in the heavyweight onigiri market is the rise of the “Doka-bento” style, which packs ingredients typically found in a bento box into the onigiri. The pioneer of this trend was the JR East group’s NewDays, a station-convenience store, which released the “Noriben Nigireta” in 2021. This oversized onigiri is packed with seven ingredients, including chikuwa tempura, fried white fish, and a rolled omelette.
The “Noriben Nigireta” (NewDays: 330 yen), as the name suggests, is packed with familiar ingredients from a nori bento, with the ingredients generously stuffed into the onigiri![Seven-Eleven] The Original Convenience Store Onigiri! 1.5 times the rice, over double the weight of the regular onigiri with the heavyweight “Donto Omusubi.”
Seven-Eleven started selling onigiri in 1978. By 2003, annual sales surpassed 1 billion units, and by 2014, they exceeded 2 billion units! This means they sell over 5.5 million units a day.
Innovations such as packaging films that preserve the crispiness of the nori and low-temperature rice milling to achieve fluffy rice have been continuously implemented in the production process. They offer a range of onigiri at various price points, including the budget-friendly “Ureshii-ne!” products in the low 100 yen range, and the premium “Kodawari Omusubi” in the 200 yen range.
As mentioned earlier, from October 2024, they will launch the “Donto Omusubi” nationwide. This heavyweight onigiri series has 1.5 times the amount of rice and weighs more than twice as much as regular onigiri. Additionally, depending on the region or store, you may find “Ooki na Omusubi” and “Deka Musubi” mega onigiri products. Be sure to check out these hefty, satisfying onigiri!
This is the “Donto Omusubi Teriyaki Chicken Steak” (270 yen). The garlic and ginger-infused sauce, along with teriyaki chicken and mayonnaise, create a rich, junky flavor.[Lawson] A fried rice rice ball made with the rich broth from “Tenka Ippin” also makes its debut!
Lawson has pursued a fluffy texture as if shaped by human hands and introduced a new molding method in 2023. The method applies equal pressure from four directions, resulting in airy rice balls.
Additionally, they use a blend of domestically sourced rice selected by region. For example, in the Tohoku region, they use “Yukiwakamaru” from Yamagata Prefecture, and in the Kanto region, they use “Hyakumangoku” from Ishikawa Prefecture, incorporating locally unique rice brands.
