Colorful Rice Crackers Being Made in Ishikawa Pref., Makers Say Local Support Kept Them Going after Noto Earthquake

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, January 29, 2026

SHIKA, Ishikawa — The production of colorful bite-size rice crackers is in full swing in Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Kunio Shirayama, 82, and his wife Fusako, 83, recently placed mochi into wooden boxes arrayed on the floor of their workshop in Shika. Colored red, yellow and green, the mochi was cut to produce rice crackers called Noto Shika Arare.

The crackers are seasoned with salt and sugar.

“We thought about stopping production after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck two years ago. But thanks to the support of our customers, it seems we’ll be able to ship the crackers again this year,” Fusako said with a smile.

The crackers are expected to be shipped from mid-March.