Yamagata High School Team ONI³ Pays Courtesy Visit to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

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On March 27, 2026, the high school team ONI³ (Kokomi Saito, Yuri Shibuya, Yuna Kano) from Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa Kojokan High School paid a courtesy visit to Norikazu Suzuki, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to report on their research activities addressing Japan's declining rice consumption. This visit was organized by Plat Yonezawa Co., Ltd., their SSH coordinator, following ONI³'s gold prize win in the East Japan block of the 8th Change Maker Awards (an English presentation contest) and their advancement to the national competition. ONI³ focuses on onigiri (rice balls), developing original recipes, conducting in-school workshops, and engaging in food education at local children's cafeterias, in response to the halving of per capita rice consumption over the past 60 years. The visit took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, where the Minister offered words of encouragement. The activity was sponsored by Hiroshi Minami, Representative Director of Yamagata-za Takinami, and Rintaro Otake, owner of Babanocho Hayashi. Plat Yonezawa Co., Ltd., established on April 20, 2022, is a DMO (Destination Management Organization) also involved in tourism database management.