The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh) (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President Yoshifumi Kuwata; hereinafter Zen-Noh) is launching the "Thinking About Rice by Season" Project, which aims to capture changes in lifestyle and dining tables by season based on consumer voices and propose new ways to enjoy rice.

This project is an initiative to re-convey the value of "rice" while staying close to seasonal lifestyle changes and household realities, and to disseminate information and proposals useful for daily dining. As the first step, Zen-Noh conducted the "Extreme Heat Dining Survey" targeting 1,111 men and women aged 20 to 60 nationwide who are usually responsible for meal preparation and home cooking.

While cold noodles such as somen and hiyashi chuka are standard summer staples, this survey also revealed interest in rice dishes that can be eaten cold and refreshing, such as chilled ochazuke and chilled shiruko-style rice. Furthermore, approximately 40% of respondents overall (35.6%), and over 50% of those in their 20s (53.9%), answered that they sometimes eat cold rice without reheating, indicating a trend towards "cold rice" expanding as a summer staple option beyond "cold noodles" in the context of extreme heat.

Moreover, over 70% (72.3%) of people reported sometimes refraining from going out or eating out due to the heat. Over 70% (73.8%) also found summer meal preparation burdensome, with this figure rising to approximately 90% (89.1%) in households with children up to high school age. Amidst this, "being easy to eat refreshingly," "being quick to prepare," and "being preparable without using heat" were prioritized in summer menus, revealing a high demand for meals that can be easily prepared while reducing the heat and effort of cooking.

Key Survey Findings

1 Over 70% (72.3%) have experience refraining from going out/eating out due to heat

2 Over 70% (73.8%) find meal preparation burdensome, with approximately 90% (89.1%) in households with children

3 Summer menus prioritize "refreshing," "quick preparation," and "no heat required"

4 Cold noodles rank high among desired summer staples. Meanwhile, interest in "chilled rice" is also noted

5 Over 50% (53.9%) of 20-somethings report eating cold rice without reheating, with "easy to eat even on hot days" cited as the most common reason

6 Approximately 60% (59.3%) are likely to eat rice more often with summer rice recipes, with needs for "time-saving," "no heat," and "using ingredients on hand"

Details

1 Over 70% (72.3%) have experience refraining from going out/eating out due to heat

When asked if they sometimes refrain from going out or eating out due to the summer heat, 26.7% answered "often" and 45.6% answered "sometimes," totaling over 70% (72.3%) who have experience refraining from going out or eating out due to the heat.

Looking at age and gender, 20s males responded "often" (29.7%) and "sometimes" (55.9%), and 20s females responded "often" (37.5%) and "sometimes" (50.9%), with both genders exceeding 80%. Younger generations tend to refrain from going out/eating out more due to the heat.

2 Over 70% (73.8%) find meal preparation burdensome, with approximately 90% (89.1%) in households with children

When asked if they find summer meal preparation and home cooking burdensome compared to other seasons, 28.5% answered "very burdensome" and 45.3% answered "somewhat burdensome," totaling over 70% (73.8%) who feel a burden in summer meal preparation.

In households with children up to high school age, approximately 90% (89.1%) found summer meal preparation burdensome, exceeding the overall average. This suggests that households with children experience a higher burden in summer meal preparation.

The most common concern or burden regarding summer meal preparation was "burden of cooking in the heat" (50.6%). This was followed by "wanting to avoid cooking with heat as much as possible" (39.1%) and "loss of appetite due to heat, difficulty choosing easy-to-eat menus" (31.4%).

3 Summer menus prioritize "refreshing," "quick preparation," and "no heat required"

When asked about preferences for summer menus, "being easy to eat refreshingly" (55.2%) was the most common answer. This was followed by "being quick to prepare" (40.1%) and "being preparable without using heat" (29.9%).

In addition to ease of eating, short preparation time and the ability to prepare meals without heat are also important factors in choosing summer menus.

4 Cold noodles rank high among desired summer staples. Meanwhile, interest in "chilled rice" is also noted

When asked about desired main dishes and side dishes for summer, somen (56.5%), hiyashi chuka (52.9%), and soba (47.2%) ranked highest, with cold noodles dominating the top positions.

On the other hand, when asked about rice dishes they would like to try in summer, chilled ochazuke (27.2%) was the most popular. This was followed by "curry/spicy rice dishes" (25.4%) and "chilled shiruko-style rice" (21.3%), indicating interest in "chilled rice" that can be eaten cold and refreshing.

By age group, 20-somethings favored chilled soup rice and chilled shiruko-style rice (34.5% for chilled soup rice, 31.4% for chilled shiruko-style rice), while those in their 50s and 60s most preferred "curry/spicy rice dishes" (39.2% for 50s, 37.4% for 60s).

By gender, men favored chilled soup rice and curry/spicy rice dishes, while women showed a higher interest in hearty onigiri, mixed rice, and vegetable-based rice dishes. This suggests that in addition to ease of preparation and eating, there is a demand for rice dishes that consider nutritional balance and health, indicating differences in preferred rice dishes by generation and gender.

5 Over 50% (53.9%) of 20-somethings report eating cold rice without reheating, with "easy to eat even on hot days" cited as the most common reason

In a preliminary survey asking if respondents sometimes eat cold rice without reheating, 10.9% answered "often" and 24.7% answered "sometimes," totaling approximately 40% (35.6%) who sometimes eat cold rice without reheating. By age group, over 50% (53.9%) of those in their 20s significantly exceeded the overall average.

Reasons for eating cold rice without reheating included "easy to eat even on hot days" and "easy to eat," indicating that a certain number of people, particularly younger generations, are incorporating cold rice into their summer meals.

6 Approximately 60% (59.3%) are likely to eat rice more often with summer rice recipes, with needs for "time-saving," "no heat," and "using ingredients on hand"

When asked if they would eat rice more often during the summer if there were easy-to-eat rice dishes or recipes that could be prepared without heat, 12.3% answered "very likely" and 47.0% answered "somewhat likely," totaling approximately 60% (59.3%) who responded "likely."

Looking at age and gender, 20s women showed "very likely" (21.4%) and "somewhat likely" (63.4%), totaling 84.8%, exceeding 80% compared to other age groups and genders. Furthermore, the proportion of respondents who answered "likely" was relatively high among those in their 20s to 40s, indicating interest in summer rice dishes, particularly among those in their 20s to 40s.

When asked about information they would like to refer to for eating rice in the summer, "recipes that can be prepared in a short time" (41.8%) was the most common answer. This was followed by "recipes that can be prepared without heat" (35.7%) and "recipes using ingredients on hand" (33.2%), revealing that "time-saving," "no heat," and "using ingredients on hand" are sought after in summer rice recipes, emphasizing ease of preparation and reduced cooking burden.

Discussion

This survey revealed that consumer needs for summer dining tables are changing due to extreme heat. Amidst the avoidance of going out/eating out and increased burden of meal preparation due to the heat, summer menus prioritize "refreshing," "quick preparation," and "no heat," leading to a higher demand for easily consumable meals.

While cold noodles like somen remain the primary summer staple, over 50% of 20-somethings regularly eat cold rice without reheating, and there is also interest in cold rice dishes such as chilled ochazuke and chilled shiruko-style rice. Furthermore, those in their 50s and 60s show high interest in curry/spicy rice dishes, suggesting that menu proposals that stimulate appetite while being easy to eat are also effective.

Additionally, approximately 60% responded that they would eat rice more often if there were summer rice recipes, with over 80% of 20s women showing a high response rate. These results suggest that the issue may not be a lack of consumer interest in rice itself, but rather a failure to propose it in forms that are easy to eat in the summer, potentially leading to a decrease in choices.

Based on these findings, it appears that proposing new ways to eat rice that are cold, easy to prepare, and palatable even on hot days, tailored to the needs of different age groups and genders, will be important for increasing rice consumption during the summer.

About the "Thinking About Rice by Season" Project

This project is an initiative to uncover changes in seasonal lifestyles and dining tables through consumer voices, and to communicate new ways to enjoy and the value of "rice" while staying close to the realities and needs of households at that time.

Starting with this "Extreme Heat Dining Survey," Zen-Noh plans to conduct surveys and other activities on seasonal themes for autumn, winter, and spring, and to disseminate information based on consumer voices.

Survey Overview

Survey Name: Extreme Heat Dining Survey

Survey Period: May 27, 2026 - June 1, 2026

Survey Method: Internet-based questionnaire survey

Target Audience: Men and women aged 20 to 60 nationwide who are usually responsible for meal preparation and home cooking.

Valid Responses: 1,111

Respondent Breakdown:

Men in their 20s: 111, Women in their 20s: 112

Men in their 30s: 111, Women in their 30s: 111

Men in their 40s: 111, Women in their 40s: 111

Men in their 50s: 111, Women in their 50s: 111

Men in their 60s and above: 111, Women in their 60s and above: 111

*Regarding the preliminary survey:

Conducted with 4,395 men and women nationwide. Of the 3,527 who responded that they are usually responsible for meal preparation and home cooking, 1,111 were surveyed for the "Extreme Heat Dining Survey."

*Download the PDF press release here:

d186837-1-91745573aa54f7b576e5a6f12851a275.pdf

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Survey結果