Hello, travelers!
This is Ayu-mama, a writer for “SaruKuma.”
Today I’m thrilled to introduce a charming little spot located in Suidocho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City:
[Farmer’s Rice Balls — ichi kara juu].

I had been curious about this place every time I walked past it. On this particular day, I couldn’t decide what to have for lunch and actually walked right past the storefront once (the owner totally noticed me — how embarrassing!). But the curiosity won me over, I turned around, and finally stepped inside!
The shop sits along National Route 3, just a short walk from the Kumamoto Chuo Police Station. Right next door is [Shirakawa Park], which fellow SaruKuma writer Riko-tama has already introduced.

[Shirakawa Park] An Urban Oasis You’d Never Expect Downtown — With a Toddler Playground! (Kusabacho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City)

You’ll spot the place easily thanks to its adorable rice ball signboard.
The exterior is so stylish!
And inside? Even more stylish!
It hardly feels like a traditional rice ball shop — the space is wonderfully designed!

The bright blue tiles give off such a refreshing vibe!
And there’s even an eat-in counter!

Here’s the heart of the story: the owner of [ichi kara juu] is actually a rice farmer from Aso, and the rice balls served here are made entirely from rice he grows himself!

From cultivation to sale…
From 1 to 10…
“ichi kara juu” (which means “from one to ten” in Japanese)…
That’s the inspiration behind the name [ichi kara juu].

Isn’t that the most clever name?
I was honestly moved by the thoughtfulness behind it!
The menu is wonderfully extensive!

There are unique fillings you won’t find elsewhere!
And the prices are surprisingly affordable!

Honestly, it’s so reasonable that you almost worry the shop isn’t charging enough.
They also sell their own rice!
This year’s freshly harvested new-crop rice is in stock!

The rice is grown with zero residual pesticides!
That means it’s safe enough even for little ones to enjoy.

They have an Instagram account too!
I gave it a follow right away.

Recommended Menu

With so many varieties, choosing what to order is a delightful dilemma.

(They were sold out the day I visited, but they also serve hot soup. I really wanted to try it…)

The classics like umeboshi (pickled plum) and tuna mayo are tempting…
The green chili pepper variety also caught my eye!
And of course, a simple shio-musubi (salt rice ball) sounds amazing too!

After lots of agonizing…

I went with ‘Shoyu-no-mi (fermented soy bean paste) and Cheese’,
‘Shake (Salmon)’,
and a ‘Brown Rice Onigiri’!

The shoyu-no-mi and cheese rice ball — a top recommendation from the owner — I decided to enjoy in the shop!
They even brought me a glass of cold water — such a nice touch.
The packaging is way too cute! It almost felt wrong to open it.
But of course, I opened it anyway, haha!
And there it was — a beautiful onigiri wrapped in a generous sheet of nori!
Ahh, the wonderful aroma of seaweed!

And inside…

Look at this — a perfectly fluffy, soft rice ball! (Totally different from the dense ones I always end up squeezing too tightly at home, haha!)
Each grain of rice glistens and stands up beautifully on its own!
Luckily, the day before my visit they had just switched to this season’s freshly harvested new rice — what perfect timing!

And the combination of onigiri and cheese? Absolutely delicious!
I never expected cheese to pair so well with rice — it was such a delightful surprise!
I took the salmon and brown rice ones to go.

They packed my takeout in the most adorable paper bag!
It looked like I was carrying home a fancy cake purchase!

The salmon one I bought for my son?
I wanted to take a photo, but he gobbled it up before I could even pull out my camera, haha.
That tells you just how good it was.
And here’s the brown rice one!
Brown rice can sometimes be tough or hard to eat, right?
But at [ichi kara juu], the brown rice is tender and easy to enjoy — it makes a wonderful onigiri!

And it stays delicious even when cool!
Great rice really does transform a simple rice ball — I was genuinely amazed at the difference!

And to think it’s priced about the same as a convenience store onigiri — even more impressive!

Instead of grabbing rice balls at a convenience store or supermarket,
[ichi kara juu] is the place I’d recommend every time!
(Reservations are available — recommended for orders of 5 or more.)

I really hope everyone gets to try these at least once!
It will completely change your idea of what a rice ball can be!

In this comfortable outdoor weather,
why not pick up some rice balls from ichi kara juu
and enjoy a relaxing weekend picnic at Shirakawa Park?

[Shirakawa Park] An Urban Oasis You’d Never Expect Downtown — With a Toddler Playground! (Kusabacho, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City)

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Frequently Asked Questions

*Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before visiting.