[Top 5] Rice (cultivars) / Top 5 rice cultivars in Japan

With reading of this page, you will get above listed knowledges as well as Japanese have. I will be very glad if you could read this article to the end.

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Rice for Japanese

As you might know, staple food in Japan is ‘Rice’. Self-sufficiency ratio of rice is almost 100 %. Rice is captivated all over Japan. To keep supply of rice, Japanese continue to make breed improvement. As a result, there are various cultivars of rice in Japan.

(Source is report by ‘Beikoku Kikou’ as public interest incorporated association in Japan)

Koshi Hikari / 35.6 %

quotation source : https://www.zpr.co.jp/product/4984678710012.html

’Koshi Hikari’ is the cultivar of rice with largest rice field in Japan. According to ‘Beikoku Kikou’, 35.6 % of rice field is for ‘Koshi Hikari’. It’s said that it’s not strong against plant disease. However, as taste is very nice, ‘Koshi Hikari’ is spread to all over Japan.

Facts about ‘Koshi Hikari’

• 35.6 % of share (Field basis)
• Made and named in 1956
• Major producing area is Niigata, Ibaraki, Tochigi
• Taste good, compare with rice in the past

Hitomebore / 9.4 %

quotation source : https://www.zpr.co.jp/product/4960873011151.html

’Hitomebore’ is the cultivar of rice with 2nd largest rice field in Japan. According to ‘Beikoku Kikou’, 9.4 % of rice field is for ‘Hitomebore’. This rice is made from ‘Koshi Hikari’ with improving strength against coldness. So ‘Hitomebore’ is mainly spread to northern Japan.

Facts about ‘Hitomebore’

• 9.4 % of share (Field basis)
• Made and named in 1991
• Major producing area is Miyagi, Iware, Fukushima
• Strong against cold weather

Hino Hikari / 8.9 %

quotation source : https://www.zpr.co.jp/product/4984678820435.html

’Hino Hikari’ is the cultivar of rice with 3rd largest rice field in Japan. According to ‘Beikoku Kikou’, 8.9 % of rice field is for ‘Hino Hikari’. This rice is made from ‘Koshi Hikari’ with improving to adjust weather in southern Japan. So ‘Hino Hikari’ is mainly spread to Kyushu area.

Facts about ‘Hino Hikari’

• 8.9 % of share (Field basis)
• Made and named in 1989
• Major producing area is Kumamoto, Oita, Kagoshima
• Improved to adjust weather in southern Japan

Akita Komachi / 7.0 %

quotation source : https://www.zpr.co.jp/product/4984678710067.html

’Akita Komachi’ is the cultivar of rice with 4th largest rice field in Japan. According to ‘Beikoku Kikou’, 7.0 % of rice field is for ‘Akita Komachi’. This rice is made from ‘Koshi Hikari’ with improving strength against disease and adjust weather conditions in Akita area. So ‘Akita Komachi’ is mainly cultivated in Akita.

Facts about ‘Akita Komachi’

• 7.0 % of share (Field basis)
• Made and named in 1984
• Major producing area is Akita, Iware, Ibaraki
• Improved to adjust weather in Akita

Nanatsu Boshi / 3.5 %

quotation source : https://www.zpr.co.jp/product/4960873072909.html

’Nanatsu Boshi’ is the cultivar of rice with 5th largest rice field in Japan. According to ‘Beikoku Kikou’, 3.5 % of rice field is for ‘Nanatsu Boshi’. This rice is made from ‘Koshi Hikari’ with improving strength against coldness and adjust weather conditions in Hokkaido area. So ‘Nanatsu Boshi’ is mainly cultivated in Hokkaido.

Facts about ‘Nanatsu Boshi’.

• 3.5 % of share (Field basis)
• Made and named in 2001
• Major producing area is Hokkaido
• Improved to strength against coldness

Summary

In the end, I would like to summarize the points of this article.

Postscript

How was the content today ?

There are many kind of rice in Japan. If you have chance to taste Japanese rice, please try to have it in various brands in producing area. It might be nice experience in your days in Japan.

Thank you for reading and see you again !