Photo/Illutration Lawson's frozen rice balls are 10 to 20 percent cheaper than the chain's lineup of fresh onigiri. (Sho Ito)

As rice prices continue to rise, convenience store chain Lawson Inc. will begin selling frozen onigiri nationwide that are less expensive than fresh rice balls, the company announced on May 9.

With these frozen products, Lawson aims to provide consumers with more affordable options for the staple food while also improving logistics efficiency.

The frozen rice ball line has four varieties, including grilled salmon onigiri priced at 279 yen ($1.9) and wakame seaweed onigiri at 140 yen, both including tax.

Since they can be produced and stored in bulk, they are up to 20 percent cheaper than fresh onigiri.

These rice balls are quickly frozen at the factory, maintaining the same flavor as their room-temperature counterparts, according to Lawson.

Customers can store them in their freezers at home or zap them in the in-store microwaves for a quick meal.

Due to their longer shelf life of approximately one year, the frozen onigiri may also reduce food waste.

Additionally, the products help improve the chain’s logistics efficiency, as frozen items need only to be delivered once a day, rather than twice daily for unfrozen onigiri.

After a successful trial run in about 400 stores in Tokyo starting in February, Lawson plans to roll out the product to approximately 1,700 outlets in the wider Kanto region and beyond, beginning on May 13.

The company aims for a nationwide launch by March 2027.

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