Beyond the Onigiri Boom: Popular Rice Specialty Store in Honmachi to Open New Brand "Casual ni, Kome." Featuring "Freshly Made Moments" in Umeda Chayamachi on May 19 (Tuesday)!
Kyohei Yasui, who operates the popular rice specialty store "Kome to Mitsu" in Honmachi, is launching a new brand, "Casual ni, Kome.", which will open in Umeda Chayamachi, Osaka, on May 19, 2026. This new venture aims to go beyond the onigiri boom by focusing on the experience of freshly cooked rice itself, redefining how people enjoy rice.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 16:00
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On May 19, 2026, "Casual ni, Kome." will open in Umeda, Osaka.
This is a new brand by Kyohei Yasui, who runs "Kome to Mitsu," a rice specialty store that draws long lines in Honmachi.
The store, which has been conveying the charm of rice through "onigiri" until now, is now proposing an "experience where rice itself is the main star."
This is a challenge to redefine the "future way of enjoying rice."
**Concept: "I can't help but want to eat rice."**
The main star is rice.
The aroma of freshly cooked rice, the steam, the sweetness of the first bite.
Especially in an era of rice shortages and declining rice consumption.
We want people to taste the deliciousness of rice once again.
"Casual ni, Kome." is a place to deliver such an experience into daily life.
**Background of the Brand's Birth**
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, food trends have changed significantly.
"Easy and photogenic" items have spread mainly through social media, and the value standards for dining have become heavily dependent on "whether it can be captured in a photo."
Amidst this, "onigiri specialty stores" rapidly increased.
They are easy, straightforward, and convenient for takeout.
Certainly, it's an attractive business model.
However, Yasui felt a sense of discomfort.
"The deliciousness of rice shouldn't just be limited to that."
Onigiri is merely an entry point, and the true value might lie in "freshly cooked rice itself."
In fact, while operating "Kome to Mitsu," many customers commented, "The rice itself is delicious."
He wanted to deliver that experience more directly.
This is how "Casual ni, Kome." was born.
**The Rice Experience Begins with the Pot. The deliciousness of rice begins here.**
The deliciousness of rice begins here.
It's not just about serving food, but also designing an experience.
The pots lined up are a symbol of this.
Rice transforms into "something to choose."
**Concept**
"I can't help but want to eat rice."
Because it's not a special dish but something in daily life,
If you truly face it, its value changes greatly.
The aroma of freshly cooked rice, the sweetness of the first bite, the umami that spreads with each chew.
By carefully feeling these,
You realize, "Rice was this delicious!"
"Casual ni, Kome." is a brand that provides that experience in daily life.
**Value Proposition (3 Pillars)**
① **Experience design centered on freshly cooked rice**
Rice is cooked just before serving.
The steam and aroma rise the moment the lid is opened.
Your meal begins from that "moment."
It is designed not just as a dish, but as an experience to be enjoyed with all five senses.
② **Set meal composition with rice as the main dish**
Meat and fish are merely supporting roles.
The main star is "rice."
The set meal consists of:
・Rice
・Main dish (meat or fish)
・Small side dish
・Miso soup
This composition is designed to enhance the rice.
③ **Beyond onigiri**
At "Kome to Mitsu," the charm of rice has been conveyed through onigiri.
However, this brand delves into a more fundamental value.
That is, "savoring rice itself, not in a processed form."
It does not deny onigiri, but proposes an experience beyond it.
**Space and Experience Design**
Inside the store, importance is placed on the "flow for enjoying delicious rice," including the timing of cooking and serving.
During lunchtime, "Shio Onigiri" (salt onigiri), a specialty of Kome to Mitsu, will be made fresh in front of customers.
It's a space that values "feeling" rather than just "eating."
**Menu Composition (Planned)**
We will develop a menu that appeals not only visually but also audibly.
・Chicken Nanban raised on Nanko Ume
・Ginger Pork marinated in "Hebereke" (drunken) style
・Fluffy Dashi-maki on the Beef
*Contents may vary depending on sourcing and season.
Rice flour soufflé dorayaki
Best before only 3 minutes!
Fluffy Dashi-maki
The slightly humorous menu names are also appealing.
Confident in our set meals!
Various uses depending on the scene, with meat, fish, and vegetables.
Many types of Japanese sake
Many types of Japanese sake that make you want to take photos are also available.
**Future Outlook**
"Casual ni, Kome." will expand not just as a restaurant, but as a "brand that redefines the value of rice."
To make "rice," an everyday food, an attractive presence once again.
And to spread an experience where eating itself becomes enjoyable.
**Representative's Comment**
"We want people to fall in love with 'rice itself' again, not just onigiri. This is the store for that."
**Store Overview**
Store Name: カジュアルに、米。(Casual ni, Kome.)
Opening Date: May 19, 2026
Location: NU Chayamachi Plus 3F, 8-26 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Seating Capacity: Approximately 40 seats
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram
This is a new brand by Kyohei Yasui, who runs "Kome to Mitsu," a rice specialty store that draws long lines in Honmachi.
The store, which has been conveying the charm of rice through "onigiri" until now, is now proposing an "experience where rice itself is the main star."
This is a challenge to redefine the "future way of enjoying rice."
**Concept: "I can't help but want to eat rice."**
The main star is rice.
The aroma of freshly cooked rice, the steam, the sweetness of the first bite.
Especially in an era of rice shortages and declining rice consumption.
We want people to taste the deliciousness of rice once again.
"Casual ni, Kome." is a place to deliver such an experience into daily life.
**Background of the Brand's Birth**
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, food trends have changed significantly.
"Easy and photogenic" items have spread mainly through social media, and the value standards for dining have become heavily dependent on "whether it can be captured in a photo."
Amidst this, "onigiri specialty stores" rapidly increased.
They are easy, straightforward, and convenient for takeout.
Certainly, it's an attractive business model.
However, Yasui felt a sense of discomfort.
"The deliciousness of rice shouldn't just be limited to that."
Onigiri is merely an entry point, and the true value might lie in "freshly cooked rice itself."
In fact, while operating "Kome to Mitsu," many customers commented, "The rice itself is delicious."
He wanted to deliver that experience more directly.
This is how "Casual ni, Kome." was born.
**The Rice Experience Begins with the Pot. The deliciousness of rice begins here.**
The deliciousness of rice begins here.
It's not just about serving food, but also designing an experience.
The pots lined up are a symbol of this.
Rice transforms into "something to choose."
**Concept**
"I can't help but want to eat rice."
Because it's not a special dish but something in daily life,
If you truly face it, its value changes greatly.
The aroma of freshly cooked rice, the sweetness of the first bite, the umami that spreads with each chew.
By carefully feeling these,
You realize, "Rice was this delicious!"
"Casual ni, Kome." is a brand that provides that experience in daily life.
**Value Proposition (3 Pillars)**
① **Experience design centered on freshly cooked rice**
Rice is cooked just before serving.
The steam and aroma rise the moment the lid is opened.
Your meal begins from that "moment."
It is designed not just as a dish, but as an experience to be enjoyed with all five senses.
② **Set meal composition with rice as the main dish**
Meat and fish are merely supporting roles.
The main star is "rice."
The set meal consists of:
・Rice
・Main dish (meat or fish)
・Small side dish
・Miso soup
This composition is designed to enhance the rice.
③ **Beyond onigiri**
At "Kome to Mitsu," the charm of rice has been conveyed through onigiri.
However, this brand delves into a more fundamental value.
That is, "savoring rice itself, not in a processed form."
It does not deny onigiri, but proposes an experience beyond it.
**Space and Experience Design**
Inside the store, importance is placed on the "flow for enjoying delicious rice," including the timing of cooking and serving.
During lunchtime, "Shio Onigiri" (salt onigiri), a specialty of Kome to Mitsu, will be made fresh in front of customers.
It's a space that values "feeling" rather than just "eating."
**Menu Composition (Planned)**
We will develop a menu that appeals not only visually but also audibly.
・Chicken Nanban raised on Nanko Ume
・Ginger Pork marinated in "Hebereke" (drunken) style
・Fluffy Dashi-maki on the Beef
*Contents may vary depending on sourcing and season.
Rice flour soufflé dorayaki
Best before only 3 minutes!
Fluffy Dashi-maki
The slightly humorous menu names are also appealing.
Confident in our set meals!
Various uses depending on the scene, with meat, fish, and vegetables.
Many types of Japanese sake
Many types of Japanese sake that make you want to take photos are also available.
**Future Outlook**
"Casual ni, Kome." will expand not just as a restaurant, but as a "brand that redefines the value of rice."
To make "rice," an everyday food, an attractive presence once again.
And to spread an experience where eating itself becomes enjoyable.
**Representative's Comment**
"We want people to fall in love with 'rice itself' again, not just onigiri. This is the store for that."
**Store Overview**
Store Name: カジュアルに、米。(Casual ni, Kome.)
Opening Date: May 19, 2026
Location: NU Chayamachi Plus 3F, 8-26 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Seating Capacity: Approximately 40 seats
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram