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RICE IN JAPAN

making mochi The importance of rice in Japan can not be emphasized enough. It is the staple
food; the source of traditional spirit, sake; and it is left as offering to gods and ancestors. It has
even been said that Japanese people are like a bowl of rice---uniform, homogenous and sticking
closer together.

In the old days white rice was eaten mainly by people in the cities. The militarization of Japan
before World War II exposed conscripts from the countryside to white rice and they liked it.
However the switch to white rice, which is polished and relatively nutrition free, led to vitamin
deficiencies and widespread cases of beriberi, sometimes called “the Edo affliction," because it
was more commonly eaten in Edo (Tokyo) than in rural areas.

Japanese have more words for rice than love. Children have traditionally been told that the rice
they eat was grown meticulously by hard-working farmers and not a single grain should be
wasted. Some anthropologists have suggested that Japanese civilization and social structure has
its origins in wet-rice farming introduced from China and Korea 2,500 to 3,000 years ago. Rice
once served as currency.

Japanese consume about 9 million tons of rice a year, compared to 200 million tons in China.
About three quarters of Japanese eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the first things a
housewife or a working mother does when she wakes up is make her family rice for the day in a
rice cooker.

The Japanese are eating less rice than they used to. Per capita rice consumption dropped from
114.9 kilograms (about six bowls a day) in 1960 to 60 kilograms (still a lot of rice) in 2008. The
decrease has been attributed to higher incomes, a wider availability of all kinds of food, and the
introduction of fast foods. These days many Japanese eat bread and noodles instead of rice.

A study by Japan's National Cancer Center, found that women who eat three or more bowls of
rice a day have a 50 percent greater chance of developing diabetes. The study confirms the link
that large amounts of carbohydrates increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Good Websites and Sources: Rice Good Photos at Japan-Photo Archive japan-photo.de ;
Wikipedia article on Japanese Rice Wikipedia ; Essay on Rice and History
aboutjapan.japansociety.org Japanese Rice Culture worldcom.ch/negenter ; Noodles Wikipedia
article on Japanese Noodles ; Yoshida Udon Page pdmz.com/udon ; Making Soba fxcuisine.com
; Cheap Eats: Soba Noodles bloglander.com/cheapeats ; Worldaramen, a Site About Ramen
worldramen.net ; Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum bento.com ; Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen
Museum; Nissin Noodles nissin-noodles.com and Japan Visitor japanvisitor.com

Links in this Website: DIET AND EATING HABITS IN JAPAN Factsanddetails.com/Japan

;JAPANESE FOODS AND DISHES Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; FOOD SAFETY IN JAPAN
Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; RICE AND NOODLES IN JAPAN Factsanddetails.com/Japan ;
SOYBEANS, SOY SAUCE, NATTO, MISO AND TOFU IN JAPAN
Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; JAPANESE VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND MUSHROOMS
Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; JAPANESE BEEF, MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; SEAFOOD IN JAPAN Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; SUSHI
Factsanddetails.com/Japan ; FUGU (BLOWFISH) IN JAPAN Factsanddetails.com/Japan ;
RESTAURANTS AND FAST FOOD IN JAPAN Factsanddetails.com/Japan

History of Rice in Japan

rice and nori It was long thought that rice farming was introduced to Japan from Korea and
China between 300 and 100 B.C. In December 1987, a 2000-year-old rice ball was discovered in
the town of Rokuseimachi in Ishikawa Prefecture. In Kyushu ancient people at red-kerneled rice.

Many archeologist looked upon the introduction of wet land rice farming techniques as the
technological advancement that marked the beginning of the Yayoi period and the end of the
Jomon period--important periods in ancient Japanese history.
For a long time the earliest evidence of rice farming was dated to around 300 B.C. which worked
nicely into models that it was introduced when the Koreans, forced to migrate by upheaval in
China in the Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.). Later a number of Korean objects, dated
between 800 and 600 B.C., were found. These discoveries upset the neatness of the model.

Then in the early 2000s, grains of wetland rice were found in pottery from northern Kyushu
dated to 1000 B.C. This called into question the dating of the entire Yayoi period and caused
some archeologist to speculate that maybe wet-land rice farming was introduced directly from
China. This assertion is backed up somewhat by similarity in skeletal remains of 3000-year-old
skeletons found in Quinghai province in China and Yayoi bodies unearthed in northern Kyushu
and Yamaguchi prefecture.

Importance of Rice in Japanese Culture

Kate Elwood wrote in the Daily Yomiuri: A traditional name for Japan is Toyoashihara no
Mizuho no Kuni--the land where abundant rice shoots ripen beautifully. Emiko Onuki-Tierney is
an anthropologist who has done extensive research on the Japanese attitude toward rice,
including writing a book titled Rice as Self: Japanese Identities through Time. According to
Onuki-Tierney, in one story in the Kojiki collection of myths about the origin of Japan, the
goddess Amaterasu is the mother of a "grain soul" and Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan, is the
son of one. Amaterasu gives Jimmu rice grains and tells him to transform the wilderness into a
land of rice. Onuki-Tierney points out that unlike other creation myths in the world, Japan's
mythology is not about the creation of the universe but about changing wilderness through rice
cultivation. While other Asian countries obviously also have rice, Japan's own rice has been
viewed as distinct. Westerners were not traditionally thought of as bread-eaters but rather meat-
eaters, as opposed to rice-eating Japanese people, due to Buddhist prohibitions in Japan on the
consumption of meat. [Source: Kate Elwood, December 13, 2011]

The shamoji rice spatula is a symbol of the Japanese housewife. While less prevalent than it used
to be, it can still be seen in various depictions of smiling women wearing kappogi long-sleeved
aprons and holding the shamoji aloft, at the ready to serve up some warm nourishment. This
contrasts vividly with the traditional Western images of angry housewives brandishing rolling
pins, not equipped to joyfully roll out some pastry to supply their family members with a
delicious savory or sweet pie, but rather to whack a wayward husband over the head.
Occasionally Japanese women are portrayed using a menbo rolling pin in a similar way, but such
representations are far less frequent than those of cheerful shamoji holders.

Bread Versus Rice and Japan

Kate Elwood wrote in the Daily Yomiuri: Both bread and rice symbolize livelihood, as can be
seen in a variety of phrases such as "earn one's bread," "know which side your bread is buttered
on" and "take bread from someone's mouth," as well as meshi no tane ("rice seed": a means of
living), meshi ga kuenai ("cannot eat rice": cannot make a living), and fude ippon de meshi o kuu
("eat rice by one ink brush": make a living as a writer). "Eating the bread of idleness" also
corresponds nicely to muda meshi o kuu, to eat useless rice, which means to be unproductive.
Bread and rice also both signify a communal experience. The idiom "break bread together"
signifies sharing a meal, similar to onaji kama no meshi o kuu, to eat from the same rice-cooking
pot. [Source: Kate Elwood, December 13, 2011]

But cultural associations of rice perhaps go one step further. Linguists Dmitrij Dobrovol'skij and
Elisabeth Piiraninen have made a study of cross-cultural and cross-linguistic figurative language.
They note that rice is further associated with the whole living situation, as exhibited in the phrase
hiyameshi o kuwasareru, being made to eat cold rice, a way of expressing being treated coldly.
Tanin no meshi o kuu, eating the rice of other people, means to gain experience and become
mature by leaving one's family.

Unlike these rice expressions, a focus on undesirable or external sources of sustenance is not
seen in common bread idioms. "Bread and water" may be understood to be the most minimal
provisions, traditionally associated with provisions for prisoners, but the expression does not
figuratively describe a chilly reception. There is no idiom related to eating bread somewhere else
and to say it would simply suggest a sandwich obtained elsewhere, not a vital representation of
becoming independent from Mom and Dad.

In this way, perhaps warm rice eaten at home has a cultural resonance not easily supplanted. Yet,
as always, the picture is not completely black and white. When I spent a year in Europe for
research a little while ago I made rice every day, thanks to a rice cooker a colleague returning to
Japan after her own sabbatical had kindly passed on to me. On the other hand, many Japanese
women I met in Europe had by and large happily abandoned rice for bread in their daily lives,
and they expressed surprise and amusement that my daughter and I persisted in eating rice at
least once a day. If rice is a symbol of physical and spiritual sustenance perhaps it can be said
that variety is the rice of life.

Rice as a Global Food

planting rice Rice is a member of a family of plants that also includes marijuana, grass and
bamboo. There are over 120,000 different varieties of rice including black and red strains as well
as white ones. Rice plants can grow to a height of ten feet and shoot up as much as eight inches
in a single day. [Sources: John Reader, Man on Earth (Perennial Libraries, Harper and Row, ⊕
Peter White, National Geographic, May 1994]
Rice is the world's No.1 most important food crop and dietary staple, ahead of wheat, corn and
bananas. It is the chief source of food for about 3 billion people, half of the world's population,
and accounts for 20 percent of all the calories that mankind consumes. In Asia, more than 2
billion people rely on rice for 60 to 70 percent of their calories. If consumption trends continue
4.6 billion people will consume rice in 2025 and production must increase 20 percent to keep up
with demand.

Rice grows almost anywhere: the flooded plains of Bangladesh, the terraced countryside of
northern Japan, the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and even the deserts of Egypt and Australia.
Rice straw was traditionally used make sandals, hats, ropes and patches for thatch roofs.

Rice comes from the Oryza sativa plant. The two main strains are the japonica and indica
subspecies. There are dry land varieties of rice and wet land varieties. Dry land varieties thrive
on hillsides and in fields. Most of the world's rice is a wetland variety, which grows in irrigated
paddies (55 percent of the world's rice supply) and rainfed paddies (25 percent). Paddy (a Malay
word that means "unmilled rice") is a small plot of land with a dike and a few inches of water in
it.

Websites: RiceWeb: www.riceweb.org ; Riceonline: www.riceonline.com

History of Rice

harvesting rice Rice is believed to have been first cultivated in China or possibly somewhere else
in eastern Asia around 10,000 years ago. The earliest concrete evidence of rice farming comes
from a 7000-year-old archeological site near the lower Yangtze River village of Hemudu in
Zheijiang province in China. When the rice grains unearthed there were found they were white
but exposure to air turned them black in a matter minutes. These grains can now be seen at a
museum in Hemudu.

Evidence of rice dated to 7000 B.C. has been found near the village of Jiahu in Henan Province
northern China near the Yellow River. It is not clear whether the rice was cultivated or simply
collected. Rice gains dated to 6000 B.C. have been discovered Changsa in the Hunan Province.
In the early 2000s, a team form South Korea's Chungbuk National University announced that it
had found the remains of rice grains in the Paleolithic site of Sorori dated to around 12,000 B.C.

Wild rice grows in forest clearings but was adapted to grow in shallow flooded fields. The
introduction of paddy agriculture dramatically changed the landscape and ecology of entire
regions.

DNA analysis shows that these early forms of rice were different from varieties eaten today.
Africans cultivated another species of rice around 1500 B.C. The Moors introduced rice to
Europe via Spain.

Rice as Food

rice balls The seeds in rice are contained in branching heads called panicles. Rice seeds, or
grains, are 80 percent starch. The remainder is mostly water and small amounts of phosphorus,
potassium, calcium and B vitamins.

Freshly harvested rice grains include a kernel made of an embryo (the heart of the seed), the
endosperm that nourishes the embryo, a hull and several layers of bran which surround kernel.
White rice consumed by most people is made up exclusively of kernels. Brown rice is rice that
retains a few nutritious layers of bran.

The bran and hull are removed in the milling process. In most places this residue is fed to
livestock, but in Japan the bran is made into salad and cooking oil believed to prolong life. In
Egypt and India it is made into soap. Eating unpolished rice prevents beriberi.

The texture of rice is determined by a component in the starch called amylose. If the amylose
content is low (10 to 18 percent) the rice is soft and slightly sticky. If it is high (25 to 30 percent)
the rice is harder and fluffy. Chinese, Koreans and Japanese prefer their rice on the sticky side.
People in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan like theirs fluffy, while people in Southeast Asia,
Indonesia, Europe and the United States like theirs in between. Laotians like their rice gluey (2
percent amylose).
Kinds of Rice in Japan

Grains of Japonica rice favored in Japan are short and sticky. The rice has a gelatinous texture
and round grains and is sold mostly five- or ten-kilogram bags. Japanese get very excited about
newly harvested rice which they say has a very better taste, texture and aroma than rice that has
been stored for a while.

Rice is sold in different grades at different prices. The sub-tropical island of Sumiyoshi is source
of one of Japan's most popular and expensive rices.

Japanese are very particular about their rice and tastes are fickle and always changing. Farmers
and sellers are having a harder and harder time making keeping up with trends while fending off
foreign competition.

Top Brands of Japanese Rice

Aigamo koshihikari is regarded as Japan's best rice. It sells for about $5 a kilo and is harvested
from paddies where ducks eat insect pests, negating the use of pesticides. A two-hectare plot
produces just nine tons of grain. Other quality names include Hitomebore and Akitakomachi.
Uonuma koshihikari, another quality rice, costs about $6 a kilo. It is grown in the Minami-
Uonuma area around Shioawa, Niigata Prefecture in a basin between low mountains with a good
supply of water and extreme high daytime and low nighttime temperatures that are vital for
growing quality rice.

Minoru Akita wrote in the Yomiuri Shimbun: “Thanks to its strong disease resistance and chewy
texture, Koshihikari accounts for nearly 40 percent of the nation's total rice acreage. Koshihikari
rice from the Uonuma district of Niigata Prefecture has long sat at the pinnacle of Japanese rice,
demanding far higher prices than other kinds. Uonuma-grown Koshihikari often costs double the
price of other brands, and sometimes up to 8,000 yen for five kilograms--four times the price of
others." [Source: Minoru Akita, Yomiuri Shimbun, September 4, 2012]

Recently, other brands have sought to unseat Koshihikari, with some taking direct aim at rice
from Uonuma. The Tsuyahime brand is at the forefront of these efforts. Developed as a team
effort by farmers and local government officials in Yamagata Prefecture, the brand soared to
prominence in 2010. Rice crops nationwide suffered from the severe summer heat that year.
Tsuyahime, however, gained first-class marks for 98 percent of its crop. [Ibid]

Yoshio Okuyama, a 60-year-old farmer in Kahoku, Yamagata Prefecture, grows Tsuyahime in 3-

1/2 of his 25 hectares of rice paddies. "It's a bit firm, so it's popular among young people. It's
easy to grow because it doesn't get very tall and collapse easily," he said. Other brands that have
risen in status recently are Mitsuhikari, a high-yield rice developed by Mitsui Chemicals Inc.,
and Hokkaido-grown Nanatsuboshi, which has been exported to China. [Ibid]

Sasanishiki Rice---the 'Yokozuna' of Grains--- Losing its Prestige

In September 2012,Minoru Akita wrote in the Yomiuri Shimbun: “In the face of declining
domestic consumption, the rice market is growing more competitive every year, with traditional
favorite Sasanishiki continuing to struggle and new brands making names for themselves. The
makeup of the rice market, however, is very much in flux, with Sasanishiki rice, once considered
the yokozuna of rice brands on par with a popular Koshihikari, losing popularity and newer
brands emerging as major players. [Source: Minoru Akita, Yomiuri Shimbun, September 4,
2012]

After a poor Sasanishiki crop in 1993 due to cold weather, many farmers stopped growing the
brand, and in recent years it has hovered around the No. 20 spot in rice popularity rankings. As a
result, consumers in large cities now rarely see the brand on supermarket shelves. Choichi
Takahashi, a 62-year-old farmer in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, only grew Sasanishiki for
many years, but he mostly switched to the Hitomebore brand after the 1993 harvest. "Usually, a
0.1 hectare paddy yields about eight or nine bags of rice [about 500 kilograms], but that year we
only got two or three bags [120 to 180 kilograms]," Takahashi said. Though he continues to
produce Sasanishiki, the bitter experience made him reduce his reliance on the brand.
"Sasanishiki is also vulnerable to high temperatures and can collapse easily. I don't want to grow
too much of it," he said. [Ibid]

The Sasanishiki brand was first produced in Miyagi Prefecture in 1963, at a time when demand
for rice was increasing. It became popular for its light taste, and as much as 200,000 hectares of
Sasanishiki was under cultivation in 1989, making it one of the nation's most popular brands. But
the poor crop in 1993 labeled the brand as "weak in cold temperatures." In 1999, Sasanishiki
dropped out of the top 10 most popular rice brands. Nevertheless, some farmers and restaurants
remain devoted fans. Yoshiki Nishizuka, a sushi restaurant owner in Tokyo's Ginza district,
lauds the high quality of Sasanishiki. "It brings out the excellence in sushi toppings," he said.
[Ibid]

Cooking Rice in Japan

rice polishing vending machine The Japanese like their rice very white and polished. Some
Japanese add some sake, fish powder or salt to the rice to enhance the flavor. Rice used to make
sushi has a little vinegar and sugar in it.

Most Japanese steam their rice in cookers specially designed to cook rice. Before the rice is
cooked it is washed with room temperature water and massaged several times and soaked for 30
minutes to several hours. Japanese like their rice soft and the washing and massaging removes
the hard rice bran around the grains. Rice bran has little nutrition. Ironically some Japanese add
brown rice to their white rice to make it more nutritious.

These days Japanese are finding rice to be increasingly too inconvenient and time-consuming to
make. A recent innovation, rice that requires no washing, is made using a special machine that
uses the stickiness of the bran to skim the bran off rice whirled around in a cylinder.

Eating Rice in Japan

Japanese tend to eat their rice in a bowl separately from the main dish. They often take one bite
of rice and then one bite of the main dish so it mixes in their mouth. Common rice dishes include
katsu-don (rice topped y a fried pork cutlet), oyako-don (rice topped with egg and chicken),
niku-don (rice topped with sliced beef), ten-don (rice topped with tempura shrimp and
vegetables).

Rice balls (origiri) are very popular in Japan. They are made from rice mixed with fish flakes
molded together in a pyramid shape. They often contain grilled salmon or a pickled plum in the
middle. They are sold at convenience stores and are popular with busy people on the go.

Mochi os a soft, chewy blob-shaped rice cake which can be eaten raw, boiled, toasted or grilled
or placed in a soup. Along with sake, it is one of the most popular offerings to the Gods. It also a
popular New Year food. Mochi has been around for at least 1000 years. In the old days, the rice
for mochi was pounded by men using sledgehammer-size wooden mallets and the pounded rice
was steamed for 40 minutes into a smooth paste and then shaped by women into mochi. See
Snacks, Diet and Eating Habits

Curry rice is one of the most common dishes cooked at home. It and sushi traditionally top the
list in surveys of favorite foods. Rice and rice'derived products are also used in skin care and hair
care products.

Rising wheat prices has lead some people to substitute rice flour for wheat flour to make things
like bread, dumplings pasts and pizza. Bread made of rice rather than wheat is being promoted in
some places. It is especially popular in Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture , a major rice-producing
area.

Rice gruel is popular Kyoto summertime breakfast. The tradition began at Kyoto's Buddhist
temples, some of which off rice gruel to visitors in the summer.

Great Rice Panic of 1994 in Japan

During the Great Rice Panic of 1994, when a bad harvest gave Japan no choice but to import 70
percent of the nation's rice supplies, Japanese shoppers lined up outside department stores
starting at 6:30am, three hours before stores opening time, to get their hands on 10-kilograms
bags of Japanese rice, which were selling on the black market for up to $143. The panic was
brought about by wet, cool weather that destroyed much of the 1993 rice crop.

The Japanese found the rice imported from California to be tolerable but they had a hard time
with Thai rice, especially after a magazine ran a picture of a dead mouse found in a bag of Thai
rice and reported that cigarette butts and other debris had also been found in Thai rice.

During the panic morning shows gave tips on preparing foreign rice; the Tokyo government ran
a rice hot line for people who had difficulty coping with problem; and Japanese school children
were forced to eat "blended rice" (a mix of Japanese, Chinese, American and Thai rice) even
though the government originally said they wouldn't have to. To calm fears, the Emperor and
Empress released a statement, saying that were eating "blended rice," and the Minister of
Agriculture ate some foreign rice at a supermarket and said "this does not taste familiar, but I
don't feel any resistance to it," [Source: New York Times]

Rice Farming in Japan

See Economics, Agriculture

Nearly 90 Percent of Japanese Prefer Domestic Rice

Nearly 90 percent of respondents to a nationwide Yomiuri Shimbun survey said they would
primarily choose Japanese rice over foreign brands even if the latter cost less after rice imports
were liberalized. The survey also showed 68 percent were in favor of increasing the number of
large-scale farming operations to boost Japan's agricultural productivity, compared with 19
percent who were opposed."Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, November 21, 2011]
Asked if they would continue buying domestic rice even after low-priced rice from overseas
became available under trade liberalization, 89 percent of the respondents said they would
purchase primarily Japanese-made rice, while 7 percent said they would buy primarily rice from
abroad.

Seiyu to Sell Chinese Rice at 149 Stores

In March 2012, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported: Seiyu GK will start selling Chinese-grown rice
on Saturday at 149 stores in Tokyo, Shizuoka and five other prefectures in the Kanto region at
1,299 yen for five kilograms--more than 20 percent less than inexpensive domestic brands, the
major supermarket chain has announced. It will be the first time since 1994 that a major
distributor will sell foreign-produced rice. In 1993 and 1994, Japan imported rice as an
emergency measure due to a lean harvest. Observers say the move is in anticipation of the trend
toward trade liberalization, to see how consumers react to the imported rice. [Source: Yomiuri
Shimbun, March 10, 2012]

The rice, which is the same type as the domestic-produced Japonica rice, is grown in Jilin
Province, in northeastern China. "[We decided to sell the rice as] the price of domestic rice
surged after the Great East Japan Earthquake, which led to a shortage of inexpensive rice," a
Seiyu official said at a press conference. Seiyu plans to sell a certain number of Chinese rice
brands by autumn, when domestic rice harvested in 2012 goes on sale. The company said it will
see how the rice sells before deciding how to proceed.

Other major supermarket chain operators are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward Seiyu's move.
"We don't plan to sell foreign rice," supermarket chain operator Aeon Co. said. In the food
service industry, Matsuya Foods Co., a major gyudon beef bowl chain operator, started using a
mixture of Japanese and Australian rice at about 70 percent of its stores in late February.

Since 1995, Japan has accepted a certain amount of foreign-produced rice as tariff-free imports.
The country currently imports 767,000 tons of such rice a year. Most of the imported rice is used
for processed food products or livestock feed. However, 100,000 tons are sold as a staple food,
which is how Seiyu plans to sell the Chinese rice.

Seiyu's move comes as the country moves toward liberalizing its trade--for example, through the
Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations. The government currently imposes a
778 percent tariff on imported rice. If the tariff is removed or sharply reduced following the TPP
talks, a large amount of foreign rice is expected to be imported to Japan. Seiyu apparently
decided to import the Chinese rice to gauge consumers' reactions in anticipation of such a
scenario, according to observers.

Some Japanese Consumers Choosing Cheaper Chinese-Produced Rice

In April 2012, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported: “As domestic rice prices increased following the
crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, an increasing number of consumers are opting
for cheaper imported rice. Some restaurant operators started using imported rice on their menus
in an apparent move to gauge customers' reactions...Seiyu GK, a major supermarket chain
operator in Kita Ward, Tokyo, started selling rice from China's Jilin Province in March 2012 at
its 149 stores in Tokyo and five other prefectures in the Kanto region, as well as Shizuoka
Prefecture. [Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, April 6, 2012]

At Seiyu's Akabane store in the ward, a 45-year-old homemaker said she had tried the Chinese-
grown rice once, which sells for 1,299 yen for five kilograms. "We have no complaints about the
taste," she said. "We appreciate the affordability as we have a son in middle school who has a big
appetite." The Jilin rice is increasingly popular as it is about 20 percent cheaper than the most
affordable domestic product--a blended rice priced at 1,650 yen, according to a Seiyu public
relations official. "It's been selling much better than we expected," he said. [Ibid]

The hospitality industry is also seeing an increasing number of restaurant operators using
imported rice. Kappa Create Co., an operator of a sushi restaurant chain in Saitama, for example,
has been using U.S. rice at a restaurant in the city since January. Matsuya Foods Co. in
Musashino, Tokyo, which runs gyudon beef bowl restaurants, followed suit in February by
mixing domestic and Australian rice at about 70 percent of its eateries. [Ibid]

The chain operator prefers harder rice because it soaks up less sauce than regular rice does.
However, the company was unable to secure enough hard domestic rice this year. "We realized
that [gyudon] tastes better with harder Australian rice than with soft domestic rice," a Matsuya
official said. [Ibid]

Many restaurant operators are willing to use imported rice due to shortages of affordable
domestic rice. The number of restaurant operators interested in using imported rice is believed to
be rising dramatically, according to Toshikazu Nishira, 50, who runs a rice shop in Sanda,
Hyogo Prefecture. "We receive online orders for cheap Chinese rice from those we presume are
in the hospitality industry," he said. [Ibid]

Shio-Koji: Salty Malt Rice

Explaining what "shio-koji" is, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported: “"Shio" means salt, and "koji" is
a preparation made by growing mold on some kind of grain, usually rice. Shio-koji can be made
by salting rice with koji mold growing on it, adding water, and letting the mixture sit for a week
or two. Shio-koji is not consumed directly, but marinating meat and vegetables in this salty mold
improves the flavor considerably. You can make shio-koji at home or buy it bottled or packed in
the supermarket. [Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, December 6, 2012]

Why does shio-koji make food taste better? The koji mold transforms starch, protein and other
food components into substances that enhance sweetness and savoriness. Mixing food with shio-
koji also makes it salty, but in a different way than regular salt. Food prepared using koji mold
includes familiar products such as miso, soy sauce, sake and mirin, a sweet sake used for
seasoning. All these products are used to make cooked food taste better. [Ibid]

The media started a shio-koji craze by promoting it as a seasoning on TV and in magazines last
year. Since then, it has become increasingly popular. Even though most people see shio-koji as a
new ingredient, some parts of the country have long used similar recipes to flavor traditional
dishes, such as tsukemono pickles. It would be great if the growing popularity of shio-koji
helped even more people appreciate the beauty of traditional Japanese food. [Ibid]

Giant Rice Balls from Ibaraki Prefecture

Reporting from Sakuragawa in Ibaraki Prefecture , Akira Anzai wrote: Early winter is the time
when a small group of people eat colossal balls of steamed rice called "mosso" as part of a
tradition to pray for health and an abundant harvest. Omeshi Matsuri (the plentiful rice festival)
is held at Kashima Shrine in Sakuragawa's district of Shimo-Izumi and has been celebrated
annually for 400 years. Each cone-shaped mosso is 30 centimeters tall and consists of seven go
(about 1.3 liters) of rice harvested from the shrine's rice paddies. Participants say the mosso in
the past was even larger, consisting of one sho (about 1.8 liters) of rice. [Source: Akira Anzai,
Yomiuri Shimbun, December 2011]

Despite Sakuragawa's inland location, the saury is a customary accompaniment to the mosso.
Other side dishes, including boiled vegetables and soup, are also usually served. This food is
traditionally cooked by women, but they must adhere to a rare custom that prevents them from
attending the event and preparing the mosso. Only men are allowed to prepare the festival
grounds and eat the mosso.

On Sunday, 26 people participated in Omeshi Matsuri. They began eating the mosso after the
shrine's priest read prayers and offered sacred sake to the deity, Kashima-sama. During this time,
a man holding a giant rice paddle appeared, playing the role of Kashima-sama. He wore
traditional sandals called waraji and had a headband made of rice straw. The man encouraged
everyone to finish the mosso, "Eat more, eat more," he said. While all 26 men ate for more than
an hour, only two devoured an entire mosso, including the youngest participant Norikazu Otsuka,
36. Consuming such a huge quantity of rice can be exhausting. Otsuka said, "My mouth got tired
as I continued to cram rice with soup down my throat."

The unusual festival was held even during the food shortages of World War II. But its survival is
being threatened by Japan's prolonged recession and aging population. These dual problems
caused the cancellation in 2009 of another Omeshi Matsuri that had traditionally been held in the
neighboring Hongo district.

Image Sources: 1) Ray Kinnane 2) JNTO 3) Japan Zone 4) exorsyst blog, 5) Japan Visitor, 6)
Photomann vending machine website

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Daily Yomiuri, Times of
London, Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO), National Geographic, The New Yorker,
Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton's Encyclopedia and various
books and other publications.

© 2009 Jeffrey Hays

Last updated January 2013

https://www.tasteofjapan.jp/ingredient/rice/

Rice

The most important food for Japanese people

Delicious rice is a fruit of different climates and cultures

 Rice is an indispensable grain in the Japanese diet, and is served as staple food everyday. Rice
making has started approx. 2500 years ago in Japan. Because Japan is rich in quality water,
sunlight and clearly defined four seasons, which are the blessings of warm climates of Japan, the
nation’s environment is suitable for rice making. With different climates and environments in
each region of the country stretching over from north to south, various kinds of methods of rice
making are being implemented.
Each type of rice has different tastes, flavors and the size of grains. You may be amazed with
the depth of the selection of rice as you try to find your favorites because each type of rice has
different stickiness and texture.

Thoroughgoing quality management

 Over a long period of time, rice makers have devoted their life to create cultivation methods
effectively using Japan’s rich natural environment, and developed rice making methods that are
not easily affected by external environment factors like harsh climates and harmful insects.
A preservation method of rice is thorough. Under thoroughly controlled systems, harvested
rice is threshed and stored in low-temperature storages with a temperature of 15 degrees (59
degrees Fahrenheit) or lower. Its freshness is always maintained as only a quantity demanded by
the market is shipped.
Moreover, traceability in the creation / preservation of reports on business trades, etc. in each
step from cultivation to sales/production are ruled by the central government. Because the
country and rice makers strictly follow such rules on rice making, consumers can enjoy freshly
preserved safe and reliable rice throughout a year.

Rice is a healthy power food.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2043.html

Cooked rice hardly contains fat while maintaining carbohydrate, protein, vitamins (B1 and
B2), calcium, iron, etc.
Another attractive factor of rice is that the elevation of blood sugar level is slower after
consuming rice compared to flour (ingredient of breads and noodles), and this prevents us from
overeating snacks because a feeling of fullness lasts longer. Lately, brown rice (unpolished rice)
has been drawing attentions as a healthy food because it contains more vitamins than white rice.
Rice is a healthy food suitable for those being conscious of health and beauty.

Beautiful landscapes seen only in Japan

Rice cultivation starts in spring and finishes in autumn. In early summer, freshly green, young
rice outstretching to the sky creates refreshing atmospheres in a landscape, while in autumn, rice
ears swinging in winds color fields in gold. Throughout a year, rice fields create beautiful
landscapes as a season changes.
Recently, it has become popular that huge drawings and writings are created on rice fields as a
big canvas using different colored rice plants. Such archetypal images of Japan create relaxing
atmospheres, and they will surely give you an unimaginable excitement and relaxing feeling.
Rice

Rice (米, kome) is Japan's most important crop, and has been cultivated across the country for
over 2000 years. It is the primary staple food of the Japanese diet and of such fundamental
importance to the Japanese culture that it was once used as currency, and the word for cooked
rice (gohan) has become synonymous with the general meaning of "meal".

A bowl of cooked rice is a central part of traditional Japanese meals, but the grain is also
processed into several different types of products including alcohol, vinegar and flour. The
following are some common rice products and a list of common rice dishes that can be found
across the country.

Common types of rice

White Rice (Hakumai)

Japanese rice is short grain and becomes sticky when cooked. The majority of Japanese rice is polished
to remove the hard outer skin (rice bran) and consumed as hakumai ("white rice"). White rice is the
foundation of Japanese cooking and is served with most meals.
Brown Rice (Genmai)
Unpolished rice (genmai) is less commonly sold as it is not considered to be as delicious as white rice.
However, it has been recently gaining popularity as a health food because it is more nutritious than
white rice. The outer bran retains much of the vitamins and minerals that are removed by polishing.

Multigrain Rice
Other grains and seeds may be added to white rice to add flavor and nutrients. One variation simply
adds barley (resulting in mugi gohan), but more elaborate varieties may include more than a dozen
different additions. Multigrain rice is usually called by the number of different grains that are added (e.g.
juhachikoku), and is served at some health food restaurants and ryokan.

Glutinous Rice (Mochigome)

Glutinous Rice (also known as mochi rice or sticky rice) is the second most common variety of Japanese
rice. When cooked it is even stickier than regular Japanese rice and is commonly pounded into rice
cakes, made into sweets, or used in rice dishes such as sekihan (glutinous rice with red beans).

Common rice products

Rice Wine (Nihonshu or Sake)

Rice wine, commonly known as nihonshu or sake (sake also being used as a general term for alcohol), is
an alcoholic drink made by fermenting rice. Sake comes in several varieties and may be served hot or
cold. It is not traditionally drunk together with rice dishes as it is considered to be rice itself. Produced in
a similar way, mirin is a sweet rice wine that is widely used in cooking.

Rice Vinegar
Vinegar can also be produced from rice, and is used in dressings, pickles, marinades and for preparing
sushi rice. Most Japanese rice vinegar is light in color and flavor and only mildly acidic. Dark vinegars are
also produced and drank as a health drink.

Rice Flour
Rice flour, made from ground up white or glutinous rice, is used to make various Japanese sweets and
rice crackers (senbei), as a thickening agent in cooking, or as substitute for wheat flour to make bread.
Rice flour is gluten free.
Rice Bran (Nuka)
Rice bran, or nuka, is the hard outer skin of the rice grains that is removed when polishing brown rice to
make white rice. Rice bran has a high nutritional value and is used in a variety of ways in Japanese
cooking, most commonly to make a type of pickle (nukazuke).

Common rice dishes

Cooked Rice (Gohan)

A bowl of rice forms the basis of most Japanese meals. It is often the central dish of meals such as with a
Japanese breakfast or set meal (teishoku) in which the other dishes are traditionally considered
accompaniments to the rice. A bowl of rice is commonly served as a set with miso soup and pickles. At
Western style restaurants, cooked rice is served as an alternative to bread.

Rice Cakes (Mochi)

Rice cakes (mochi or omochi) are traditionally made from steamed and pounded glutinous rice. They are
traditionally eaten on New Year, but have become a popular dish throughout the year. Rice cakes are
prepared in a variety of ways and may be eaten fresh, grilled, fried or served in soups like dumplings.
Rice Balls (Onigiri)
Rice balls, or onigiri, are made of cooked rice and are commonly wrapped in nori seaweed. They are
usually lightly seasoned with salt and often contain a filling such as umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum),
okaka (dried bonito shavings and konbu) or salmon. Rice balls are a popular and inexpensive snack
available at convenience stores, but are also commonly on the menu at other restaurants and izakaya.

Tamago Kake Gohan

Tamago kake gohan is a common breakfast dish consisting of a raw egg mixed into a bowl of rice. There
are many variations on this simple comfort food, but most often it is seasoned with bit of soy sauce.
Eggs are commonly eaten raw or partially cooked in Japan.

Chazuke
Chazuke, or ochazuke, is another simple comfort food consisting of hot water, tea, or light fish stock
poured over rice (sometimes made with leftover rice). Chazuke is often garnished with toppings such as
umeboshi, grilled salmon or pickles. Chazuke is commonly served at izakaya and is a popular dish to eat
after drinking.
Kayu
Kayu, or okayu, is Japanese rice porridge made by slowly cooking rice in lots of water. It tends to be
thicker than other types of rice porridge or gruel and is a suitable dish for using left over rice. Kayu is
often garnished with umeboshi and is commonly served to sick people because it is easily digestible.

Donburi

Donburi refers to a bowl of plain cooked rice with some other food on top of it. Donburi are served at
specialty restaurants, but they are also a common dish that can be found on all kinds of restaurants'
menus. Some of the most popular varieties are gyudon (stewed beef), katsudon (tonkatsu), tendon
(tempura), oyakodon (chicken and egg), tekkadon (tuna) and kaisendon (raw seafood).
Sushi

Sushi can be defined as a dish that contains sushi rice, cooked white rice flavored with vinegar. There
are various kinds of sushi dishes, such as nigirizushi (hand formed sushi), makizushi (rolled sushi), and
chirashizushi (sushi rice topped with raw fish). Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan,
and one of the most popular dishes among the Japanese themselves.

Fried Rice (Chahan)

Fried rice, or chahan, is a dish that was originally introduced from China. There are an infinite variety of
ingredients that can be added to fried rice. Some common ones are peas, egg, green onions (negi),
carrots and pork. Chahan is a suitable dish for using left over rice.

Omuraisu
Omuraisu, short for omelet rice, is fried rice wrapped in a thin egg omelet. Omuraisu is usually shaped
like an American football and may be garnished with ketchup or demi-glace sauce. It is a common diner
or cafe food, although specialty omuraisu restaurants also exist.
Rice Crackers (Senbei)
Senbei are baked or grilled crackers made from rice flower. They come in many different shapes and
sizes, and there are both savory and sweet varieties. Some of the most popular are flavored with a soy
sauce glaze or wrapped in seaweed.

Sweets

Rice flour and pounded glutinous rice (mochi) are among the most common ingredients of Japanese
sweets alongside sweet beans. Some common sweets made with rice products include daifuku
(sweetened red bean paste wrapped in mochi), kushi-dango (mochi dumplings on skewers) and ohagi
(red bean paste wrapped in coarse pounded mochi rice).

Rice Bran Pickles (Nukazuke)

Rice bran pickles are common household pickles fermented in a mixture of roasted rice bran (nuka), salt
and other ingredients. Whole vegetables are stirred into the mash and allowed to cure anywhere from a
day to several months. The resulting crisp, salty and tangy pickles are then rinsed clean, sliced and
served. Nukazuke are rich in lactobacillus and said to aid in digestion.
Rice Bread (Komepan)
Rice flour can be used to make a variety of different types of bread. Rice bread (komepan) is sold at
many bakeries and supermarkets, and is a gluten free substitute for regular wheat flour bread.

Rice Manners

Pick up your rice bowl with your hand while eating from it.

It is considered polite to finish every grain of rice that you have been served.

It is not common to pour soy sauce directly over rice.

Do not leave your chopsticks standing up vertically in your rice. This is done at
funerals.

Rice fields and rice-related attractions

Rice fields are a common sight in the Japanese countryside and an image of nostalgia for many
people. The fields start as flooded paddies in the early summer and turn into seas of green and
gold waves as the rice grows and matures through the season. The crop of rice is then usually
harvested in the fall, although some southern regions may plant more than one crop per year.

Some places famous for particularly nice rice patty landscapes include the Noto Peninsula in
Ishikawa Prefecture, Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture and the Echigo Tsumari region of
Niigata Prefecture.

Surrounded by the fertile Shonai Plain, Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture has been a center of
rice trade for centuries. One of the city's tourist sites is a row of historic rice warehouses, one of
which has been opened to the public as a local rice museum.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-rice-everything-you-need-to-know/