Support the town with heartfelt rice planting bento lunches! Himawari Restaurant (Hokuryu Town)

Monday, May 18, 2020

The rice planting season has finally arrived!

Popular rice planting bento

In the early parts of Hokuryu Town, rice planting begins around Friday, May 15th. A must-have item during this rice planting season is the "rice planting bento"!!!

One restaurant in Hokuryu Town that receives many orders is "Oshokudokoro Himawari."
On Saturday, May 16th, during the rice planting bento season, we were able to cover the lively activities of the shop.

Himawari Restaurant - Exterior



There are days when the number of cases exceeds 100.

This year, perhaps due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of bento orders on the first day was half of last year's. However, over the roughly two weeks of the rice planting season, the number of orders exceeds 1,000. On a low day, there are 40 to 50 orders, and on a high day, there are over 100 orders.

On the day of our visit, cooking begins before 6am and delivery is ready by around 10am. Part-time staff also help out. That day, we received 43 orders for bento boxes and rice bowls.

Lunch box menu

There are three types of bento boxes available: A (650 yen), B (750 yen), and C (850 yen). If you order only the side dishes without rice, you will receive a 100 yen discount on each.


Lunch box set B

The lunch box that day was packed with a variety of side dishes, including fried gyoza dumplings, shrimp in chili sauce, salmon, fried noodles, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), meatballs with thick sauce, and glass noodle salad!!!


Lunch box C set



Various rice bowls

They also have a variety of rice bowls. The orders of the day are "Pork cutlet bowl," "Pork bowl," and "Fried chicken bowl"!!!


Lunch box delivery

Lunch delivery starts at 10am!


On this day, an order came in from Numata Town, so we started from the farthest area, Numata Town. Then we went to the Mibaushi area and other areas in order, delivering to each household's doorstep. All deliveries were completed by around 11:30. Then we started serving lunch.


Supporting farmers with nutritious lunches

"During this busy farming season, farmers are busy and it is the most difficult time both mentally and physically. The hard work wears them down, and they need to replenish their nutrients.

Our customers look forward to their bento lunches every day, so we try to vary the menu as much as possible each day.

Additionally, for customers who request a large portion of rice, we will provide a luxurious portion of rice free of charge," says the customer-minded wife, Yuko Sato.

"We are deeply grateful that so many people are ordering bento boxes and supporting us during this time. We will do our best to be of some help to you all and to meet your expectations," said owner Sato Mitsuo with confidence.


With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, to the farmers who work hard at planting rice, which gives life to the ears of rice, and to the staff at Restaurant Himawari, who deliver delicious food made with the utmost care and warmth...

Other photos

・Other photos of the start of the rice planting bento (26 photos) can be found here >>

Related articles and sites

・Restaurant Himawari opens! (Hokuryu Town)(May 17, 2018)
・Himawari Restaurant Homepage
・Himawari Restaurant Twitter

◇ noboru & ikuko