The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh) and Gurunavi are holding the Local Onigiri Grand Prix 2026. 160 restaurants nationwide will offer rice balls featuring local specialties for a limited time, with the grand prize determined through voting on a dedicated website.
The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh) and Gurunavi will hold the “Local Onigiri Grand Prix 2026” from 1 October to 30 November 2026. The participating restaurants comprise 160 establishments nationwide, which will offer original rice balls incorporating local specialties and regional cuisine. Consumers will vote on a dedicated website during the event, and the grand prize will be determined.
Corporate awards will be presented to recognize appealing local rice balls from the perspective of participating companies and organizations. In addition, a social media campaign will offer a lottery in which a total of 100 people can win 5 kg of rice. The campaign will be held in 2 phases: the first from 1 to 14 October and the second from 15 to 28 October.
The initiative aims to showcase regional food culture and the taste of domestically produced rice. The number of entries is reported to be 453, and participating restaurants will offer the entries for a limited time. The dedicated website is onigirifair2026.ricesmile.jp, and the grand prize is scheduled to be announced in early December.
Participating companies and organizations include Asahipack, ITO EN, NKB, Gurunavi, the Tokyo University of Agriculture Rice Project Research Group, Nokyo Tourist, and Yamamoto Electric. The press release states that the initiative is intended to promote the appeal of local rice widely.