Matsuya's Official X Suggests Putting Rice Into Hiyajiru

On August 9, 2026, Matsuya’s official X account posted a recommended way to eat Hiyajiru, which had just launched nationwide on August 4. The suggestion: add Hiyajiru to a Set Meal, choose a Large Serving or Extra-large Serving of Rice, and put the rice into the Hiyajiru to eat it. The post included a photo showing rice being dipped into a bowl of ingredient-packed Hiyajiru and brought to the mouth.

The ‘Putting Rice In’ Method the Official Account Demonstrated

The post described Hiyajiru as pairing perfectly with rice, and laid out the following way to eat it:

• Add Hiyajiru to a Set Meal
• Choose a Large Serving or Extra-large Serving of Rice
• Put the rice into the Hiyajiru and eat

The post also noted that Matsuya offers a menu item designed for eating Hiyajiru with rice, consisting of Hiyajiru, Rice, and Fresh Vegetable Salad. This corresponds to the Hiyajiru Vegetable Set (730 yen, comes with Rice and Fresh Vegetable Salad), which launched on August 4. Hiyajiru is known as a local dish from Miyazaki, where the classic way to eat it is to pour cold dashi broth over rice and wash it down; this suggestion essentially recreates that traditional method using Matsuya’s menu.

In the photo, a spoonful of rice is sinking into a bowl of Hiyajiru made with ground sesame, topped with Chicken, Okra, Scallion, and white sesame seeds. Matsuya’s logo appears on the rim of the bowl, and in the lower left, Macky & Yakky hold up rice bowls with the caption “Let’s go for some rice!”

From Test Sale to Nationwide Launch: Hiyajiru’s Path

Hiyajiru was first introduced roughly three months before its official launch, in a May 7, 2026 post on the official X account that featured it alongside Chicken Nanban as part of a Miyazaki cuisine lineup. An official announcement dated July 30 then previewed the release of a “Hiyajiru Set,” and Hiyajiru officially launched at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, at Matsuya locations nationwide (excluding Okinawa Prefecture and some stores).

The lineup consists of Hiyajiru Only at 390 yen and the Hiyajiru Vegetable Set at 730 yen, which comes with Hiyajiru, Rice, and Fresh Vegetable Salad. Set prices are also available for Set Meals, Bowls, and Beef Bowl items: Hiyajiru can be added for 70 yen off the regular price with a Set Meal, 50 yen off with a Bowl, and 30 yen off with a Beef Bowl item. The suggestion to “add Hiyajiru to a Set Meal” takes advantage of this 70-yen discounted set price for Set Meals.

During the week Hiyajiru was introduced as Miyazaki cuisine in May, several other test-sale menu items, including the Yatarazuke Beef Bowl and the Okra and Grated Domestic Yam Paste Beef Bowl, were announced in the same format, but few of them, Hiyajiru among the exceptions, went on to become regular menu items. The official account is now giving a strong promotional push, down to suggested ways of eating it, to a dish that made the leap from test sale to official menu item.

The Lunch Soup Slot Passes from Samgyetang-style Soup to Hiyajiru

As Hiyajiru appeared, the Samgyetang-style Soup Only option in the lunch “Choice of Side” lineup was removed from the official website’s menu around the same time on August 4. Samgyetang-style Soup had held that spot for roughly six weeks since late June, and the summer soup slot has now passed the baton to the chilled Hiyajiru. The Samgyetang-style Soup Only item (330 yen) as a standalone side dish, however, remains on the menu.

The switch from hot Samgyetang-style Soup to cold Hiyajiru appears to be a seasonal menu change ahead of the peak of summer. Given that Samgyetang-style Soup lasted about six weeks, how long Hiyajiru sticks around will be worth watching in the latter half of the summer.