Three major convenience store operators are preparing to sell government stockpiled rice from older harvests, with Lawson planning to market “rice balls made of vintage rice.”
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Lawson President and CEO Sadanobu Takemasu commented on the Japanese naming convention for aging rice, which adds a ko for each year past its harvest — such as kokokomai for 3-year-old rice.
“It’s incredibly difficult to pronounce,” he said, adding that Lawson would instead market the product as “vintage rice” in an effort to refresh its image.
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