Series POLICY-RELATED NEWS

Japanese rice is of the japonica variety, featuring short, round grains

The Growing Popularity of Japanese Rice Abroad “Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese,” was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013, attracting a lot of attention at home and abroad. There has since been consistent growth in Japanese rice exports, helped by the rising demand for good quality rice that pairs well with Japanese food, in synch with the growing popularity of Japanese food overseas.

SAWAJI OSAMU exported in 2015, and that number cooked and served hot as gohan. has grown to 17,381 tons in 2019. At the same time, Japanese rice is apanese food such as sushi and More recently, Japan’s rice exports suitable for sushi, onigiri and other onigiri (rice balls) has recently have grown further, reaching 13,556 dishes served cold, as it continues to become popular around the tons for the period from January to taste good even when it gets cold. world, and Japanese restau- September in 2020, a 15% increase Japanese rice is highly appreci- Jrants can now be found in many over the same period the previous ated by consumers even outside large cities. According to the Min- year, according to MAFF. istry of Agriculture, Forestry and The rice distributed around the Fisheries (MAFF) of the Japanese world falls into two major varieties: government, in 2019 there were japonica and indica. Rice cultivated approximately 156,000 Japanese in Japan is of the japonica variety, restaurants overseas, compared to which typically features short and around 24,000 in 2006. round grains in contrast to the long- As Japanese food becomes more grain indica variety. White Japanese popular, the export of rice, one of rice, milled and cooked, has a soft the essential elements of Japanese texture with a slightly sweet aroma. A food tasting event in Russia food, has been on the rise. Some Japanese rice tastes great and has serving inarizushi made with 7,640 tons of Japanese rice were a fluffy texture when it is freshly Japanese rice, 2019

22 | highlighting japan A retail store in Finland selling sushi made with Japanese rice

Another strategic exporter des- ignated by MAFF, Wakka Japan, was awarded the Minister’s Prize in 2017 for its successful initiatives promoting Japanese agricultural exports. The company operates shops specializing in Japanese rice in a number of places overseas including Singapore, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, and Hawaii and New York Japan for its excellent taste and tasting events have been held in in the United States. The company quality. This is the result of continu- many countries, seeking to create provides fresh white rice by export- ous efforts to improve breeding, cul- opportunities for local consumers ing brown rice and milling it at the tivation and milling technologies. and people in the restaurant busi- shops overseas in response to local Strict quality control after harvest ness to taste high-quality Japanese customers’ requests. They also pro- also plays a significant role in ensur- rice. In Russia, a food tasting event duce organic rice at their rice fields ing quality. For example, at rice promoting inarizushi (vinegared in Nagano Prefecture for environ- milling plants in Japan, harvested rice tucked inside sweet, deep- mentally conscious consumers and rice goes through a process of slow- fried tofu pockets) and trade meet- export it overseas. drying, husking and sorting by size ing were held at a retail store. At For details about events and using a sifter. Optical technology is the food tasting event, participants recipes using Japanese rice, please then used to find and remove impu- learned how to cook delicious rice visit the following website, which rities such as stones and any rice and make inarizushi. Rice produc- is available in nine languages, that is defective in terms of shape ers from Japan joined the event in including Japanese, English, Chi- and color or that may have been person to vouch for the taste of their nese and French: https://zenbeiyu.com/ damaged by insects. Even after rice. In China, trade shows and fairs en/, the Japan Rice and Rice Indus- completing the milling process, the for buyers have been held to pro- try Export Promotion Association quality of rice is checked against a mote the idea of giving Japanese Home Page. number of criteria, including grain rice as a gift, since China has a tra- shape, water content and taste. In dition of giving gifts to family and this way, safe, high-quality rice that friends during the Spring and Mid- has been carefully chosen through Autumn Festivals. various processes in Japan is traded More and more retailers and res- on the market today. taurants in Japan are working to pro- vide Japanese rice and rice-related Initiatives for products abroad. Iwai Corporation, Popularizing one of the strategic exporters des- Japanese Rice ignated by MAFF for the promotion around the World of Japanese rice exports, operates A number of initiatives are under- rice ball shops in New York and New way to popularize and share Japa- Jersey in the United States and Paris nese rice with many more consum- in France. To keep the rice quality ers around the world, including high, the company purchases brown promotional activities in collabora- rice directly from contracted farm- A retail store in France selling tion with the government, export- ers across Japan, and then mills and onigiri rice balls made with ers and rice producers. For example, cooks the rice on-site in the stores. Japanese rice

NOVEMBER 2020 | 23