Survey: About 87% Eat White Rice Daily! Top Moments to Appreciate Rice's Deliciousness are "Freshly Cooked," "Onigiri," and "New Crop Rice"

■ Survey on Rice Consumption and Diet Rice is an indispensable part of the Japanese dining table. Because we eat it almost every day, many people have their own preferences for its taste and cooking method. Amid talks of price hikes and climate change, how do we engage with rice? In collaboration with Mizuhoya, we conducted a survey on "Rice Consumption and Diet" with 500 men and women nationwide who answered in a preliminary survey that they "usually eat rice (white rice)." *When citing the content of this press release, please credit "a survey by NEXER Inc. and Mizuhoya" and link to Mizuhoya (https://www.okome-mizuhoya.com/). "Survey on Rice Consumption and Diet" Overview Survey Method: Internet questionnaire Survey Period: May 7, 2026 – May 13, 2026 Target Audience: Men and women nationwide who eat white rice Valid Responses: 500 samples *Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding. ■ 58.2% eat white rice "twice a day or more" First, we asked about the frequency of eating white rice per day. The most common answer was "twice a day" at 30.8%. This was followed by "once a day" at 28.6% and "every meal" at 27.4%. Combining "every meal" and "twice a day" totals 58.2%, showing that more than half of the people eat rice multiple times a day. On the other hand, 12.8% answered "a few times a week." ■ 77.8% are conscious of the "deliciousness of rice" when eating it. Next, we asked if they are conscious of the "deliciousness of rice" when eating. "Often" was 30.8% and "sometimes" was 47.0%. Together, this totals 77.8%, indicating that about 80% of people are consciously aware of the taste of rice in their daily lives. ■ 79.7% are most conscious of the rice's deliciousness "when eating it freshly cooked." We then asked those who are conscious of the taste, when they are most aware of it. The most common answer was "when eating it freshly cooked" at 79.7%. This was followed by "when eating it as onigiri (rice balls)" at 35.0%, "when eating new crop rice" at 28.3%, and "when eating with Japanese food" at 26.0%. ■ 42.7% "choose new crop rice" when they want to eat delicious rice. Next, we asked what actions they take when they want to eat delicious rice. The most common answer was "choose new crop rice" at 42.7%. This was followed by "improve the cooking method" at 31.1%, and both "change the variety" and "be particular about the origin" at 29.3%. ■ 22.9% said they "make efforts" to cook rice deliciously. We then asked if they make any special efforts to cook rice deliciously. 22.9% answered "yes," while 77.1% said "no." This means about one in five people has their own techniques. Looking at the free-text responses for their methods, a strong preference for "water" stood out. Many mentioned using natural spring water or mineral water. Others change their cooking method using clay pots or pressure cookers, or even mill brown rice themselves. ■ Summary This survey revealed that about 80% of people are conscious of the deliciousness of rice when they eat. The most common trigger for this awareness is "freshly cooked" rice. When they want to eat delicious rice, actions vary from choosing new crop rice to improving their cooking methods. The responses show various ways people enhance their daily rice, from the water they use to special ingredients. Since rice is a daily staple, why not find your own "perfect bowl"? [About Mizuhoya] Seller: Mizuhogokoku Co., Ltd. [About NEXER Inc.] Company: NEXER Inc.