Convenience store chain operator Lawson prepared emergency rice balls at one of its stores in Tokyo on August 26.

This was a drill held ahead of Disaster Prevention Day observed in Japan on September 1.

A store clerk used rice for preparing bento meals to make onigiri rice balls without adding any seasoning or toppings.

Lawson envisions selling these simple onigiri at its stores equipped with a kitchen in cases where products do not reach the outlets because of situations including damage at factories and road closures.

S/ Lawson official / As a response to disruption in logistics, we will offer rice balls that can be made in our stores so that customers can feel like normalcy has returned.

Lawson has about 9,600 stores with a kitchen nationwide and plans to hold similar drills at all of them by next March.