Japan Rice
Climate & Production
日本の気候と米作り
In this section, we will dive into the climate characteristics of eastern and western Japan, focusing on popular, unique, and new varieties of rice produced in certain regions, as well as some trivia related to rice and its area of production.
Characteristics of the climate in the eastern Japan region 東日本エリアの気候の特徴
In eastern Japan, especially in the Tohoku region, there is a large difference in temperature between day and night during the rice growing season from May to October. Especially during the summer, the temperature rises during the daytime due to the foehn effect, which increases the temperature gap between day and night. This thermal variation improves the amount of starch that grows inside rice, making it easier to produce glutinous, sticky, and sweet rice. On the island of Hokkaido, years of efforts to improve the soil and develop new varieties of rice have made it possible to grow tasty rice despite it being a cold region that is inherently unsuitable for cultivation, and now, Hokkaido ranks among the best among in Japan for rice cultivation.
Varieties popular in this area このエリアで親しまれている品種
1
Nanatsuboshi
This variety is characterized by its well-balanced and light texture with just the right amount of sweetness and firmness. It’s also known to taste good even when served cold, and therefore often used for bento boxes and sushi.
Production area
Hokkaido Prefecture
2
Akita Komachi
This is a brand of premium rice promoted by Akita prefecture. The secret of its popularity is in its well-balanced flavor, stickiness, sweetness, as well as its fluffiness and elegant aroma.
Production area
Akita Prefecture
3
Sasanishiki
This classic long seller is popular for its moderate firmness and pleasant aroma when freshly cooked. It has a refreshing flavor that isn’t too overpowering, making it a great match for Japanese dishes such as sashimi and nimono (stewed dishes). Due to its characteristics, it is also a popular variety used for sushi rice.
Production area
Miyagi Prefecture
4
Koshihikari
Niigata’s Koshihikari has long been the most popular top brand representing Niigata, a prefecture known for its rice production. Its unique sweetness, stickiness, glossiness when cooked, and aroma has earned itself an unyielding nationwide popularity.
Production area
Niigata Prefecture
Unique Varieties 特徴的な品種
1
Iwaki Laiki
This variety of Koshihikari incorporates Hawaiian culture and was co-produced by the hula girls of Iwaki, a region known as the Hawaii of Tohoku. Meaning “sacred rice” in Hawaiian, Laiki is known for its stickiness, sweetness, and well-balanced texture, giving it a clean and refreshing taste.
Production area
Fukushima Prefecture
2
Yudai 21
Originally based on an ear of rice accidentally discovered by a university professor in Tochigi prefecture at a farm affiliated with the Faculty of Agriculture in 1990, this variety took 20 years of development until it was finally registered in 2010. Known for its large grains that taste sweeter the more you chew them, it has been highly acclaimed in numerous rice competitions.
Production area
Tochigi Prefecture
Trivia Regarding Types of Rice and Its Places of Origin お米と産地にまつわる豆知識
Rice and Japanese traditional events
お米と日本の伝統行事
Since ancient times, various festivals and rituals have been held in order to pray for good rice harvest, and still continue to be held this day. For example, the Mushi Okuri (Sending Off the Insects) festival is held to ward off insects during the summer when the rice plants are growing, and the Kaza-matsuri (Wind Festival) is a farming ritual that is performed to pray to the wind god to refrain from blowing the wind too wildly. The Tohoku region’s most famous festivals, Hirosaki Neputa Festival and Aomori Nebuta Festival, with its rich long history, are also events that are held in order to chase away bad spirits that cause drowsiness and laziness during the busy farming season.
Hokkaido, One of the Nation’s Leading Rice-Producing Regions
全国有数のお米産地 北海道
The cold region of Hokkaido was originally a wetland that was unsuitable for growing crops and thought of as a place where delicious rice could not be grown. However, thanks to various factors such as soil improvement, development of rice that could withstand cold weather, and climate change, in recent years, Hokkaido has become one of the leading rice-producing regions in Japan known for its outstanding rice harvests.
Niigata, the Ideal Region for Rice Farming
お米栽培に適した産地 新潟県
Niigata prefecture ranks first in all of Japan for rice acreage and harvest. This is mainly due to its difference in temperature between day and night, as well as its blessed conditions of vast plains and Japan’s longest river running through it, making it the optimal climate for producing delicious rice. This prefecture has also actively made developments to improve its rice quality, and in 1956, the Koshihikari was created based on the Nourin No.1 strain registered in 1931.
The Climate of Western Japan 西日本エリアの気候の特徴
Western Japan is known for the Kuroshio, a powerful boundary current that causes high temperatures and humidity, making it a suitable climate for rice cultivation. However, in recent years, excessively high temperatures due to global warming has had a negative impact on the quality of rice, even resulting in unripe grains that turn the rice into a cloudy white color. To combat this, many new varieties have been developed with an improved tolerance towards high temperatures. Such efforts to cultivate varieties with both high quality and stable cultivation have led to an increase in harvesting especially among the rice-growing regions of Kyushu, such as Saga and Kumamoto prefectures.
Familiar Varieties このエリアで親しまれている品種
1
Koshihikari
Harvested in various regions across Japan, Koshihikari is not only famous for its eastern variety from the Uonuma region in Niigata prefecture, but also for its western variety produced in the Tanba region of Hyogo prefecture. Characterized by its balance of aroma, stickiness, texture, and glossy appearance, this variety tastes great even when served cold, and is often used for bento boxes and rice balls as it offers the same flavor as when it’s been freshly cooked.
Production area
Hyogo Prefecture
2
Akebono
With its large grains and moderately chewy texture that isn’t too sticky, this variety is suitable for sushi rice, rice bowl dishes, and even fried rice.
Production area
Okayama Prefecture
4
Yumetsukushi
This variety is a crossbreed between the delicious Koshihikari and the durable, easy-to-cultivate Kinuhikari. Popular for its glossiness and chewy texture, this variety is one the leading rice brands of Fukuoka.
Production area
Fukuoka Prefecture
4
Yumeshizuku
A result of a crossbreed between the Kinuhikari, which is widely grown in the Kansai region, and the Hitomebore, mainly produced in Miyagi prefecture, this variety has been highly regarded for its moderate chewiness and appetizing glossy fluffiness.
Production area
Saga Prefecture
Unique Varieties 特徴的な品種
1
Kyoshikibu
Named after Murasaki Shikibu, a poet of the mid-Heian era considered to be one of the world’s first novelists, this variety has an aromatic flavor befitting of Kyoto’s elegance. This is a modern brand of rice that has been developed over a long period of time incorporating the opinions of Kyoto chefs, “rice meisters”, and other food experts. This variety is currently gaining attention for its aroma, beautiful white gloss, and elegant sweetness.
Production area
Kyoto Prefecture
2
Mori-no-kumasan
Soseki Natsume, considered one of Japan’s finest novelists and the first English literary scholar, admired the rich greenery of Kumamoto and once described it the “City of Forests“ during his residency. This variety takes its name from the words Mori (forest), Kuma (short for Kumamoto), and San (production). It is also a play on words of the traditional American camp song, The Other Day I Met a Bear (“Mori-no-kumasan” in Japanese). Known for its rich flavor and glutinous texture, this variety has been sold in packages that depict Kumamon, a popular mascot created by the government of Kumamoto prefecture.
Production area
Kumamoto Prefecture
Trivia Regarding Types of Rice and Its Places of Origin お米と産地にまつわる豆知識
The relationship between sumo and rice
Sumo and Rice
There is a theory that Sumo, the national sport of Japan, began in the present-day city of Sakurai in Nara prefecture (where Emperor Suinin once built his capital) as a ritual to ensure a good harvest for the year, and continued to be performed as a competition at the imperial court. In the middle of the dohyo (ring) where the wrestling takes place, a hole is dug in which six lucky charms including rice are buried, and the bales surrounding the dohyo is made out of processed rice-straw.
The earliest new rice in Japan
Earliest Harvest Season of Rice in Japan
The area with the earliest harvest of new rice in Japan is the islands of Okinawa in western Japan. This is because unlike mainland Japan, Okinawa enjoys a warmer climate all year round, which even allows certain areas to plant and harvest rice twice a year. Harvested on Ishigaki Island, the Churamai variety is harvested in both June and November, with the June harvest being extra popular due to it being the first new rice of the year in Japan.
Roots of Japanese rice
The Roots of Japanese Rice
According to experts, it is said that rice was first introduced to Japan about 3,000 years ago, at the end of the Jomon period. There are various theories regarding its route, but traces of rice cultivation, such as rice paddies, have been found at the Itazuke site of Fukuoka, and other Jomon sites in the Kyushu region. Furthermore, it is thought that Chinese Fujian rice (red rice) was what was first introduced to Japan and cultivated in present-day Fukui prefecture.