THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. ** Friday, September 20, 2019 |A11B
New Yorkers may need little
in the way of introduction to
sushi or other facets of Japa-
nese food. But a local business
now aims to bring newfound
attention to what is arguably
the building block of the cui-
sine.
Namely, rice.
The Rice Factory, a 10-year-
old global chain of stores de-
voted to the grain, opened a
location last month in Scars-
dale, N.Y., its first in the met-
ropolitan area. The company
focuses on offering both retail
and wholesale customers a va-
riety of rice brands imported
from Japan, including more
exclusive ones that can cost as
much as $8.50 a pound.
It also looks to emphasize
the freshness of its products.
That is, the rice is milled to
order, with machines that
“polish” the grain based on a
customer’s preference. Those
who prefer brown rice can opt
for minimal processing, while
others may desire rice with
more, if not all of the bran re-
moved—a classic white rice, in
other words.
The company says that
much of the rice sold in the
American market, whether do-
mestic or imported, has often
been milled months ago and
has thus lost much of what de-
fines its taste.
It “is like an apple that has
been peeled a while ago,” said
Satoshi Ito, CEO of Wakka
USA, the parent company be-
hind the Rice Factory’s U.S.
operations, which includes the
Scarsdale location and one in
Hawaii.
In Japan, food retailers
rarely offer rice that has been
milled on the spot, Mr. Ito
noted. But he explained that is
because the rice sold there usu-
ally has been polished within
the past month, so “people
don’t even think about” it.
Mr. Ito added that Scars-
dale was chosen for the New
York location because it is a
community with a sizable Jap-
anese population. Plus, the
cost of rent is lower versus
New York City, though the
company hasn’t ruled out the
possibility of expanding into
the five boroughs.
Nevertheless, the Rice Fac-
tory is already tapping into
the New York City market by
selling its product to restau-
rants. Ootoya America, a Japa-
nese chain with three loca-
tions in Manhattan, has been
among the buyers.
Yuji Nagase, president and
CEO of Ootoya America, said
the difference in quality is sig-
nificant.
“Rice always tastes better
when it is freshly milled,” he
said.
The Rice Factory’s arrival in
New York doesn’t stand alone.
A number of local companies
have emerged in recent years
that make and sell specialty
goods associated with Japan.
NYrture Food LLC, a New York
company that specializes in a
fermented soybean product
known as natto, is a prime ex-
ample. Its product line is ap-
propriately called New York
Natto.
Also in the mix: Brooklyn
Kura, a producer of sake, the
Japanese alcoholic beveragemade from rice. Based in its
namesake borough, the com-
pany, which launched last
year, already has 150 restau-
rants and stores carrying its
product, according to Brooklyn
Kura co-founder and President
Brian Polen.
It is too soon to say if the
Rice Factory will find as ro-
bust a market. But the 3,000-
square-foot store isn’t limitingitself just to freshly milled
rice. It also offers a variety of
items for storing and cooking
rice—a rice “tub” sells for as
much as $230—plus such rice
accompaniments as soy sauce
and pickled plums.
“We hope to become a
place that doesn’t just sell
rice, but a place that demon-
strates the Japanese culture
through rice,” Mr. Ito said.The Rice Factory’s Kaori
Kobayashi pours rice into a
milling machine. A sample of
freshly milled cooked rice, right.BYCHARLESPASSY
Milled-to-Order Rice Comes to N.Y.
DAVID ‘DEE’ DELGADO FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (2)GREATER NEW YORK WATCH
NEW YORKTransgender Inmate
Who Sued State DiesA transgender prison inmate
who got attention for suing the
state of New York over her al-
leged rape in a men’s prison died
of cancer, days before she was
set to be freed on parole.
LeslieAnn Manning, who had
been serving a 30-year sentence
for shooting at a police car, died
Saturday at the Wende Correc-
tional Facility in Alden, just east
of Buffalo, according to the De-
partment of Corrections and
Community Supervision.
Ms. Manning, 53 years old,
had lung cancer, according to her
attorney, Susan Hazeldean.
The corrections department
said she was scheduled to be re-
leased Sept. 23.
Ms. Manning accepted
$100,000 from the state last
year to settle a federal lawsuit
in which she had argued prison
officials were “deliberately indif-
ferent” to her safety as a trans-
gender woman housed in a
men’s prison.
—Associated PressNEW JERSEYUnemployment Rate
Falls to Record LowNew Jersey’s jobless rate fell
in August to a record low of
3.2%, according to figures re-
leased Thursday from the state’s
Labor and Workforce Develop-
ment Department.
It is the lowest monthly rate
since state-level records began
in 1976.
The August jobless rate fell
from 3.3% the previous month,
and the state added 1,100 jobs.
But the department says pri-
vate-sector jobs declined more
than they increased, and the net
increase was reached because of
the addition of 2,300 public-sec-
tor jobs.
—Associated PressCONNECTICUTFather, Son Killed
In Cliff AccidentA 71-year-old man tripped
atop a cliff and his adult son
tried to save him, but both fell
about 75 feet to their deaths at
an abandoned quarry, police saidThursday.
Steven Price and his 30-year-
old son, Mark Price, were riding
all-terrain vehicles with a third
man near the old Tilcon quarry
in Farmington shortly before
their deaths on Wednesday eve-
ning, police Lt. Timothy McKen-
zie said.
The Prices stopped and got
off their ATVs near the cliff’s
edge just before they fell, he
said.
“It appears to be a tragic ac-
cident,” Lt. McKenzie said.
—Associated PressNEW JERSEYCar, NJ Transit Train
Collide, Injuring TwoAn NJ Transit train and a car
collided at a crossing, seriously
injuring two people in the vehicle.
The accident at the Main
Street crossing in River Edge,
N.J., occurred around 7:30 a.m.
Thursday.
The train had departed from
Spring Valley, N.Y., and was
headed to Hoboken. There were
about 400 people aboard, but no
crew or passengers were injured.
Authorities say a father and
son who were in the car suf-
fered serious injuries that aren’t
considered life-threatening. Both
were being treated at hospitals,
but their names and further de-
tails on their conditions weren’t
disclosed.
Rail service on the Pascack
Valley Line was suspended in
both directions for about two
hours while the crash was inves-
tigated.
The cause of the collision re-
mains under investigation.
—Associated PressNew York City Mayor Bill
de Blasio’s annual manage-
ment report released this
week looks at data from 45
city agencies. In some editions
Thursday, an article about this
report incorrectly said the
data came from 25 city agen-
cies.CORRECTIONS
AMPLIFICATIONS
Readers can alert The Wall Street
Journal to any errors in news articles
by emailing [email protected] or
by calling 888-410-2667.YOU CAN
PLAN AHEAD
DISASTERS DON’T
DON’T WAIT. COMMUNICATE.
Talktoyourlovedonesabouthowyouare
goingtobereadyinanemergency.VISIT NYC.GOV/READYNY OR CALL 311.
GREATER NEW YORK
NY