Eco-material derived from Niigata City rice grains and hulls.

Reimagining what rice can be.

Nikome is an eco-material that mirrors the artistry of sake brewing. By altering the ratio of rice grains to hulls, it creates diverse textures akin to different rice-polishing rates. > This project unlocks new potential for non-edible crops. Sourced entirely within Niigata City, Nikome brings transparency to manufacturing—ensuring you know the exact farmers behind the raw ingredients. Konel spearheaded the venture, driving brand development, prototyping, and product design.

(Subsidized by the Niigata City 2025 "Niigata 2km Charm Creation & 8-Ward Collaboration Support" Project)

Issue

Unlocking new potential for rice to safeguard our farmlands.

In Niigata, a shrinking farming workforce is driving a rise in abandoned fields. Cultivating premium crops demands intense labor, making it difficult to sustain these agricultural lands. Consequently, the region's rich soil and beautiful paddy landscapes are slowly fading. Furthermore, the milling process generates husks—a farming byproduct historically left underutilized. While conventional bio-resins primarily market their eco-friendliness as plastic alternatives, we developed a material that proudly celebrates the inherent "essence of rice."

Creation

A material that connects you directly to its growers.

1. Transparent Origins, Traceable Material

We craft this product using non-edible resource crops grown in Niigata City, alongside husks left over from the harvest. By sourcing ingredients with explicitly clear origins—just like picking fresh produce at a local farmers' market—we guarantee exceptional traceability. You always know exactly who grew the components and where they came from.

2. Engaging the Senses with Organic Aesthetics

Visible hull particles and natural shading give this bio-resin a beautifully irregular, organic look. Lean in, and you will notice a subtle earthy aroma. It actively engages your sight, touch, and smell, delivering a genuine sense of nature usually lost in conventional plastics.

3. Slashing Petroleum and CO2 Emissions by Up to 60%

We blend up to 60% local crops and husks into a polypropylene (PP) base, significantly cutting down on fossil fuel reliance. Because the growing plants naturally absorb carbon dioxide, this carbon-neutral approach actively lowers your overall environmental footprint.

What is Resource Rice? | A Choice to Preserve Fertile Soil for Tomorrow

Nikome utilizes a specific industrial crop that requires minimal upkeep. This low-maintenance approach empowers elderly farmers to easily manage their paddies, even on challenging terrain.

Cultivating premium culinary harvests demands intense manual labor, pushing many aging workers to abandon their fields. With Niigata facing a severe shortage of agricultural successors, this non-edible alternative actively prevents land degradation. It offers a vital second path, keeping the soil fertile and safeguarding the region's agricultural legacy for tomorrow.

Nikome’s Vision: Sustainability Through Emotional Attachment

While the global spotlight on the plastic crisis has spurred a wave of recycled and bio-based alternatives, Nikome looks beyond technical formulas. The real issue is behavioral: consumers routinely discard plastic items while they still function perfectly. Shifting to eco-materials cannot provide a genuine solution if our culture of mass disposal remains untouched.

To disrupt this cycle, Nikome serves as an experimental initiative. We strip away the cold anonymity inherent in traditional polymers by revealing the exact farmers and fields behind the raw harvest. By replacing a faceless commodity with absolute transparency, we explore a new era of synthetics—materials intentionally designed to foster emotional attachment.

By fostering small-scale partnerships between local farmers and businesses in Niigata, we are taking the first steps toward redefining humanity’s relationship with plastic.

"A material you simply cannot throw away because you’ve grown attached to it." That is Nikome’s vision of true sustainability.

Technology

Three distinct material grades shaped by the ingredient blend.

By adjusting the blend of grain and chaff, we offer three color variations that creatively map the biomass percentage to traditional rice-polishing grades.

HAKU (Polished Rice)
Composition: Rice: 51% | Husks: 0%

Biomass Rate: 51%

Incorporating 51% pure polished grain yields a warm, inviting shade. This cozy tint emerges completely naturally as the raw ingredients transform into the final composite.

5-BU (Semi-Polished)
Composition: Rice: 30% | Husks: 10%

Biomass Rate: 40%

This harmonious blend of crop and chaff offers a neutral, versatile aesthetic. It effortlessly pairs an understated, organic color palette with a subtle, tactile grain texture.

GEN (Brown Rice)
Composition: Rice: 30% | Husks: 30%

Biomass Rate: 60%

Heavy hull integration intentionally accentuates raw fibers and prominent speckles. This combination delivers a bold, rugged finish rich in untamed organic character.

Future

Co-Creation Anchored by Nikome Material Lab.

We have opened Nikome Material Lab. on the second floor of Komesodo, a multi-purpose culinary and material hub in Niigata City.

This showroom serves as an interactive space where visitors can handle sheet materials and product mockups, exploring fresh sustainable potential firsthand. We actively seek to foster collaborative ventures with architects, creators, and corporations.

Partner with Nikome to develop bespoke furniture, retail displays, and consumer goods using our raw bio-resin. We also provide spatial design consultation, as well as immersive field tours and cultivation experiences at our local agricultural sites.

For inquiries, please reach out to Konel or contact our partner below:

Nimousaku Co., Ltd.
Nikome Project Lead: Haruka Fujisawa
Email：nikome@nimousak.com