Will it be a savior for facilities and companies struggling with rising rice prices? Kyoto's catering company 2nd Kitchen completely switches to J-farm's 'Reduced Pesticide Koshihikari'!

Kitchen Company Inc. (Head Office: Kyoto Prefecture, Brand Name: 2nd Kitchen, hereinafter referred to as "Our Company"), a comprehensive catering company that develops diverse contract and delivery catering services including on-site cafeterias for offices, delivered bentos, catering for elderly care facilities, and meal management for athletes, primarily in Kyoto Prefecture, will implement a drastic reform of its supply chain to improve the quality and ensure stable procurement of its "staple food (rice)," which is the lifeblood of its catering services.

While Our Company has always provided carefully selected "Koshihikari" rice to our customers, we have fundamentally re-examined the role of "rice for catering" that supports daily health, in response to recent climate change, tight rice supply and demand, and the resulting soaring market prices.

In line with this, starting September 2025, we have entered into a direct procurement contract with "J-farm," an advanced farm located in Tanba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture. We have fully switched to the special 'Reduced Pesticide Koshihikari' produced by this farm. Furthermore, we have decided to continue procurement from J-farm for the 2026 harvest and will announce our advancement into "sixth-sector industrialization," which integrates production, cooking, and catering services, by commencing operations of our "own farm" within 2026.

Background: The "Social Mission of Catering Companies" and Price Stability in an Era of Soaring Rice Prices

In recent years, Japan has faced serious social issues such as rice shortages stemming from the "Reiwa Rice Scare" and the subsequent sharp rise in trading prices. While many restaurants and food service businesses have resorted to price increases, the rising cost of "rice," the staple food, is a critical issue for catering sites such as office cafeterias with fixed daily budgets and elderly care facilities requiring strict cost management.

It is the social mission of a catering company to continue delivering unchanging safety and nutrition without increasing the burden on client companies. Therefore, Our Company has shifted away from dependence on market-driven procurement and is now focusing on "direct contracts with farmers" that bypass intermediate distribution.

This simultaneously achieves "stable procurement of rice" unaffected by market fluctuations and "catering provision at appropriate prices that are not swayed by market conditions (cost stability)." We have established a robust system to protect the management of contracted facilities and the smiles of our customers.

The Core of This Initiative: "Ultimate Resource Circulation" with Visible Producers

The rice from "J-farm" (Tanba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture), chosen as our partner, carries a story that brings new added value to catering. It is a resource circulation with "Takasaka Chicken (Kousaka-dori)" (https://takasakadori.co.jp/), a legendary brand chicken praised for its top-tier quality in Japan's gourmet world, sought after by Michelin-starred restaurants.

The 'Reduced Pesticide Koshihikari' cultivated by J-farm is grown using abundant, highly special organic fertilizer derived from the process of raising Takasaka Chicken. The fertilizer from Takasaka Chicken, cultivated under thorough data analysis, leads the soil to its optimal state, imparting overwhelming umami to the rice and a supreme sweetness that remains delicious even when cold, unaffected by the "storage in保温 jars" or "time elapsed during delivery" characteristic of catering.

By not just procuring ingredients but thoroughly pursuing "connecting with the production area" and "creating catering where producers are visible," we aim to convey the story of daily meals to our customers, fostering food education and a sense of security. Simultaneously, we will promote "sustainable resource circulation" where the livestock and agricultural industries collaborate, starting from the catering field.

Future Outlook: Towards the Long-Awaited "Own Farm" Operation. Catering to Change Japanese Agriculture

Our challenge with J-farm is not limited to the contract starting September 2025 and continued procurement for the 2026 harvest. Our Company has officially decided to commence operations of its "own farm" within 2026.

We will learn agricultural know-how from local specialists, including J-farm, and engage in our own rice and vegetable cultivation using the special fertilizer from Takasaka Chicken.

By completing this "sixth-sector industrialization"—producing (primary industry) in-house, cooking and processing (secondary industry) in our central kitchen, and providing catering (tertiary industry) through our own delivery network and on-site cafeterias—we will pursue contributions to food self-sufficiency, solutions to social issues like the shortage of agricultural labor, and ultimate cost performance.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: Kitchen Company Inc.

Location: 296-2 Kuze Higashi Tsuchikawa-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto City

Representative: Kozi Morita, President and Representative Director

Business Activities: Manufacturing and delivery of catering bentos for corporations, operation of on-site cafeterias, food manufacturing

Established: October 2007

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