By Daniel de Bomford and Bernard Thompson
Japan’s Ogata Village is famous for its rice production. For decades, locals have banded together to cultivate some of the highest-quality rice in the country. Ogata Village Akitakomachi Rice Producers was specifically formed to support this collective effort. Chairman and CEO Toru Wakui states that the company has successfully established sales channels in external markets. It is currently focusing on expanding into the United States with a strategy centered on its packed rice, gluten-free ramen and amazake.
While gluten-free ramen is easy for international consumers to understand, packed rice and amazake—a traditional fermented rice drink—can be more challenging. “Many people who visit Japan fall in love with the taste and texture of authentic Japanese rice and want to recreate that experience at home,” Wakui says. The challenge is that without a rice cooker, especially a Japanese one, or even with Japanese water, which is considered “softer,” emulating Japanese rice can be difficult. Packed rice delivers the Japanese rice experience abroad, without the need for special preparation—just a microwave. “We also emphasize how versatile our packed rice is. It’s ideal for making onigiri or even sushi at home,” he says.
Although amazake literally means sweet sake, it is not alcoholic. Instead, it is a fermented, koji-based drink that is typically consumed during the summer. To avoid any unintended association, the company has branded its amazake as The Rice Malt, which is sugar- and alcohol-free, with added lactic acid bacteria for intestinal health.
“We want to highlight the unique charm of our rice—not just its utility as a gluten-free base, but the story, flavor and integrity behind it,” Wakui says.
To hear more from President Toru Wakui of Ogata Village Akitakomachi Rice Producers, check out this interview with him.
AloJapan.com