Key facts
- Hyakunousha International is establishing a new company in Niigata prefecture, Japan.
- This new entity will manage rice production and marketing for the company.
- The expansion aims to secure a stable procurement system for premium Japanese rice.
- Hyakunousha plans to expand its onigiri rice ball business into the U.S. market.
- The company's onigiri are priced between $7.00 and $7.50 in the U.S.
Hyakunousha International, a Hong Kong-based company specializing in onigiri rice balls, is establishing a new entity in Niigata prefecture, Japan, to ensure a stable supply of premium Japanese rice. This move is part of the company's strategy to support its planned expansion into the United States market, where its rice balls are sold for $7.00 to $7.50 each.
Muneo Nishida, president of Hyakunosha International, founded the company in Hong Kong in 2011. The company operates under brands like Hanamusubi and OMUSUBI, offering a wide variety of fillings and aiming for global acceptance of Japanese rice ball culture. The OMUSUBI brand, launched as a global flagship, has ambitious expansion plans, targeting 10,000 stores worldwide by 2030, with a mid-term goal of 2,000 stores by 2025, primarily in Asia. This expansion is expected to create approximately 50,000 jobs and achieve carbon neutrality for the group by 2030.
The company's philosophy, embodied in its name Hyakunousha, is to "create agriculture for the next 100 years." Nishida's entrepreneurial journey began with an IT company during university, and he has since focused on integrating social contribution with business profitability. Hyakunousha's product development is customer-driven, with suggestions often coming from a dedicated Facebook fan page and direct customer interactions.