"Menu Planning" is the Most Burdensome Household Chore for Mothers. 78.1%* Responded They'd Be Happy to Receive High-End Retort Food as a New Standard Mother's Day Gift!
A survey by retort food specialist NISHIKIYA KITCHEN revealed that over half of mothers find "menu planning" a burdensome chore, and 78.1% would be happy to receive high-end retort foods as a Mother's Day gift. Retort foods, which can be the main dish, are now being appreciated as a practical new standard gift.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 00:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 15:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 27, 2026 at 16:47 (1h 15m after Collected)
"Easily enjoy world cuisine."
NISHIKIYA KITCHEN (Nishiki Shokuhin Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, Representative Director and President: Yoichi Kikuchi), a specialty store selling approximately 120 types of retort foods, mainly retort curries, conducted an internet survey targeting 444 women aged 30-70 across Japan who had received Mother's Day gifts in 2025, regarding their awareness of Mother's Day and daily household chores. The survey results highlighted that among household chores related to cooking, one in two people found "menu planning" to be the most burdensome. Meanwhile, it was found that 78.1% of respondents said they would be happy to receive "retort food" as a Mother's Day gift. While "thinking about meal menus" remains a challenge, "retort foods," which can be the main dish and easily constitute a meal on their own, are being evaluated as a new standard gift.
Click here for the official online shop (This is a placeholder, as the actual URL is not provided in the text).
The most burdensome chore for mothers is "cooking." Among cooking-related tasks, 53.5% find "menu planning" burdensome.
1) 91.7% of people usually "think household chores are a burden."
When asked if they usually find household chores burdensome, the responses were: "Strongly agree (38.3%)", "Agree (34.0%)", and "Somewhat agree (19.4%)". Only 8.3% responded "Do not agree." This result indicates that when considering Mother's Day gifts, it is important not only to convey gratitude but also to acknowledge daily efforts and alleviate burdens.
2) "Cooking" is considered the most burdensome household chore at 63.9%.
When asked which household chore they find most burdensome, "cooking (63.9%)" was the most common, followed by "cleaning (51.6%)" and "tidying up (47.8%)". "Cooking" emerged as the most burdensome chore, significantly surpassing others.
3) "Menu planning" is the most burdensome cooking-related chore at 53.5%.
When asked what aspects of cooking-related chores were burdensome, "menu planning (53.5%)" was the highest, followed by "washing pots and dishes after cooking (24.6%)" and "grocery shopping (13.5%)".
It is believed that planning daily menus, considering family health and preferences, beyond the cooking itself, creates time and mental pressure.
4) "Premium retort foods" are the most desired food gift for Mother's Day at 33.1%.
On the other hand, when asked about food items they would be happy to receive as a Mother's Day gift, "premium retort foods (33.1%)" was the highest, followed by "coffee beans (25.2%)" and "dressing (20.5%)".
This indicates that retort foods, which require no menu planning and are easy to eat, are the optimal solution for the need to alleviate the burden of thinking about menus.
5) 78.1% would be happy to receive retort foods as a Mother's Day gift.
Furthermore, when asked if they would be happy to receive retort foods as a Mother's Day gift, 78.1% gave positive responses: "Very happy (21.8%)", "Happy (34.2%)", and "Somewhat happy (22.1%)".
6) The top 3 desired retort food genres are pasta sauce, curry, and soup.
When asked about the genres of retort foods they would be happy to receive, pasta sauce (58.8%) came first, followed by curry (53.9%) and soup (50.7%). This shows high demand for foods that can be the main dish and easily complete a meal on their own.
7) 86.6% are happy to receive the same Mother's Day gift every year.
On the other hand, when asked if they would be happy to receive the same Mother's Day gift every year, 86.6% gave high positive responses: "Very happy (21.2%)", "Happy (39.0%)", and "Somewhat happy (26.4%)", significantly exceeding the 6.5% who responded "Not happy."
This indicates that in gift-giving, practical value such as "continuous burden reduction" is prioritized over novelty.
[Survey Overview]
- Survey Period: April 14 (Tue) to April 17 (Fri), 2026
- Survey Method: Self-conducted via internet survey (using Fastask)
- Target Respondents: 444 women aged 30-70 nationwide
- Gender: 100% Female Age: 30-39 (25%), 40-49 (25%), 50-59 (25%), 60+ (25%)
Mothers' Satisfaction 98%*! NISHIKIYA KITCHEN's retort foods are recommended for Mother's Day gifts.
NISHIKIYA KITCHEN's Mother's Day gifts are perfect for mothers who worry about daily menus or wish to relax occasionally. From approximately 120 varieties of NISHIKIYA KITCHEN products, a carefully selected lineup is assembled into 4 types of gift sets, allowing them to enjoy authentic, restaurant-quality flavors.
NISHIKIYA KITCHEN (Nishiki Shokuhin Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, Representative Director and President: Yoichi Kikuchi), a specialty store selling approximately 120 types of retort foods, mainly retort curries, conducted an internet survey targeting 444 women aged 30-70 across Japan who had received Mother's Day gifts in 2025, regarding their awareness of Mother's Day and daily household chores. The survey results highlighted that among household chores related to cooking, one in two people found "menu planning" to be the most burdensome. Meanwhile, it was found that 78.1% of respondents said they would be happy to receive "retort food" as a Mother's Day gift. While "thinking about meal menus" remains a challenge, "retort foods," which can be the main dish and easily constitute a meal on their own, are being evaluated as a new standard gift.
Click here for the official online shop (This is a placeholder, as the actual URL is not provided in the text).
The most burdensome chore for mothers is "cooking." Among cooking-related tasks, 53.5% find "menu planning" burdensome.
1) 91.7% of people usually "think household chores are a burden."
When asked if they usually find household chores burdensome, the responses were: "Strongly agree (38.3%)", "Agree (34.0%)", and "Somewhat agree (19.4%)". Only 8.3% responded "Do not agree." This result indicates that when considering Mother's Day gifts, it is important not only to convey gratitude but also to acknowledge daily efforts and alleviate burdens.
2) "Cooking" is considered the most burdensome household chore at 63.9%.
When asked which household chore they find most burdensome, "cooking (63.9%)" was the most common, followed by "cleaning (51.6%)" and "tidying up (47.8%)". "Cooking" emerged as the most burdensome chore, significantly surpassing others.
3) "Menu planning" is the most burdensome cooking-related chore at 53.5%.
When asked what aspects of cooking-related chores were burdensome, "menu planning (53.5%)" was the highest, followed by "washing pots and dishes after cooking (24.6%)" and "grocery shopping (13.5%)".
It is believed that planning daily menus, considering family health and preferences, beyond the cooking itself, creates time and mental pressure.
4) "Premium retort foods" are the most desired food gift for Mother's Day at 33.1%.
On the other hand, when asked about food items they would be happy to receive as a Mother's Day gift, "premium retort foods (33.1%)" was the highest, followed by "coffee beans (25.2%)" and "dressing (20.5%)".
This indicates that retort foods, which require no menu planning and are easy to eat, are the optimal solution for the need to alleviate the burden of thinking about menus.
5) 78.1% would be happy to receive retort foods as a Mother's Day gift.
Furthermore, when asked if they would be happy to receive retort foods as a Mother's Day gift, 78.1% gave positive responses: "Very happy (21.8%)", "Happy (34.2%)", and "Somewhat happy (22.1%)".
6) The top 3 desired retort food genres are pasta sauce, curry, and soup.
When asked about the genres of retort foods they would be happy to receive, pasta sauce (58.8%) came first, followed by curry (53.9%) and soup (50.7%). This shows high demand for foods that can be the main dish and easily complete a meal on their own.
7) 86.6% are happy to receive the same Mother's Day gift every year.
On the other hand, when asked if they would be happy to receive the same Mother's Day gift every year, 86.6% gave high positive responses: "Very happy (21.2%)", "Happy (39.0%)", and "Somewhat happy (26.4%)", significantly exceeding the 6.5% who responded "Not happy."
This indicates that in gift-giving, practical value such as "continuous burden reduction" is prioritized over novelty.
[Survey Overview]
- Survey Period: April 14 (Tue) to April 17 (Fri), 2026
- Survey Method: Self-conducted via internet survey (using Fastask)
- Target Respondents: 444 women aged 30-70 nationwide
- Gender: 100% Female Age: 30-39 (25%), 40-49 (25%), 50-59 (25%), 60+ (25%)
Mothers' Satisfaction 98%*! NISHIKIYA KITCHEN's retort foods are recommended for Mother's Day gifts.
NISHIKIYA KITCHEN's Mother's Day gifts are perfect for mothers who worry about daily menus or wish to relax occasionally. From approximately 120 varieties of NISHIKIYA KITCHEN products, a carefully selected lineup is assembled into 4 types of gift sets, allowing them to enjoy authentic, restaurant-quality flavors.