VOL. 150 NOVEMber 2020 THE JAPANESE AND RICE 6 12 History and Culture Fostered by Showing Hospitality to the Rice- Rice Field Deities An interview with Sato Yo-ichiro, Professor In the Oku Noto region of Ishikawa at the Faculty of Letters, Kyoto Prefectural Prefecture, local farmers ritually University welcome the deities of the rice fields into their homes. 8 Working Together to Protect the Terraced Rice Fields In Kamogawa City in Chiba Prefecture, local residents and urban dwellers are working together to protect the terraced rice fields. 14 Rice Paddy Art Features Inakadate Village in Aomori Prefecture is the location of an unusual event in which rice paddies serve as canvases for enormous works of nature-made art. 10 Rice Breeding Past and Present The accomplishments of rice breeding technology in Japan are expected to improve the world’s food situation. 4 22 24 PRIME MINISTER’S POLICY-RELATED NEWS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DIARY The Growing Popularity of AI Assists Cultivation of Sweet Also Japanese Rice Abroad Tomatoes COPYRIGHT © 2020 CABINET OFFICE OF JAPAN WHERE TO FIND US The views expressed in this magazine by the interviewees Tokyo Narita Airport terminals 1 ● JR East Travel Service Center (Tokyo Narita Airport) ● JR Tokyo Station Tourist and contributors do not necessarily represent the views of Information Center ● Tokyo Tourist Information Center (Haneda Airport, Tokyo Metropolitan Government the Cabinet Office or the Government of Japan. No article Building, Keisei Ueno Station) ● Niigata Airport ● Chubu Centrair International Airport Tourist Information & or any part thereof may be reproduced without the express Service ● Kansai Tourist Information Center (Kansai Int’l Airport) ● Fukuoka Airport Tourist Information permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through a form available at: www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/mailform/inquiry.html 2 | highlighting japan ISSUE 150, NOVEMBER 2020 Theme for NOVEMBER: THE JAPANESE AND RICE n Japan, rice is more than just a food. As the main 16 staple of the national diet Growing Rice, Growing Recovery since antiquity, rice not only Fukushima Prefecture rice farmers Kato I provides nourishment, it also Emi and her husband, Koji, are working to defines landscapes, provides protect local agriculture and promote the farmer lifestyle. employment, and informs cultural practices and values ranging from festivals and 20 rituals to the mottainai spirit of Bread Made from Brown Rice A bakery in Kumamoto Prefecture using wasting nothing and the very locally harvested brown rice as the main notion of wa (harmony). In this ingredient in its bread is growing in month’s Feature, we take a look popularity across Japan. at a few examples of Japanese interactions with rice. 18 The Evolution of the Rice Cooker From the traditional kamado stove to the induction heating “jar,” the rice cooker continues to evolve. 26 28 30 MY WAY ENJOY DRINKING ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES The Sake Evangelist Sake Cultivated by the Nature The Church on the Hill in of Akita Nagasaki PRODUCTION The Japan Journal ON THE COVER MANAGING EDITOR Sawaji Osamu The Japanese and Rice: Photo shows rice paddy art in Inakadate Village, EDITORS Alex Hendy, Chiba Hitoshi, Fujita Mao Aomori Prefecture, 2020 EDITORIAL SUPPORT Kiura Eriko Photo: Courtesy of Inakadate Village CONTRIBUTORS Kato Kyoko, Sato Kumiko, Umezawa Akira, Uno Masaki, Yanagisawa Miho EDITORS’ NOTE DESIGN Imai Mei, Okadome Hirofumi Japanese names in this publication are written in Japanese order: family name first, personal name last. NOVEMBER 2020 | 3 Prime Minister’s Diary JAPAN-INDONESIA SUMMIT MEETING Japan-Indonesia Summit Meeting n October 20, 2020, Suga Yoshihide, Prime Minister of such areas as the development of the Jakarta MRT network, the Japan, who was visiting Indonesia, held a Japan-Indo- upgrading of the Java North Line railway, the construction and Onesia Summit Meeting with H.E. Mr. Joko Widodo, Presi- operation of Patimban Port, the development of the Masela Block, dent of the Republic of Indonesia, at the presidential palace. The and the development of outer islands. The two leaders agreed to overview of the talk is as follows. steadily advance their ongoing tangible cooperation. At the outset, President Joko welcomed Prime Minister Suga’s In response to the issues that have emerged as a result of the pan- visit and expressed his intention to further develop the relation- demic, Prime Minister Suga announced his intention to work with ship between the two countries as strategic partners. In response, Indonesia to reinforce the supply chain, including the development Prime Minister Suga extended his congratulations on the first of investment environment in the country. President Joko responded anniversary of the inauguration of the second Joko administra- by giving thanks for Japan’s investment to date and expressed his tion and stated he hoped to work together to further strengthen hopes for further Japanese investment in the future as Indonesia pro- the traditional cordial relations between the two maritime nations ceeds with the development of its business environment. in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the areas of infrastructure Regarding cooperation in security and other fields, the two and human resource development. leaders agreed, in light of changes in the regional situation, to hold With regard to bilateral relations and the regional situation the Japan-Indonesia Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting specifically, the two leaders exchanged the following views. (2+2), Japan’s only 2+2 meeting in Southeast Asia, as soon as pos- With the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) exerting a sig- sible. They also affirmed that they would advance discussions on nificant impact on the Indonesian economy, Prime Minister Suga the transfer of defense equipment and promote human resource announced his intention to provide Indonesia with a new 50 bil- development in the field of maritime law enforcement. lion yen financial support loan with a view to enhancing the coun- The two leaders agreed to cooperate toward resuming the try’s disaster response capacity. He also announced the Japanese project for collecting the remains of Japanese soldiers who died government had provided medical supplies and equipment worth in Indonesia. Prime Minister Suga also called on President Joko to more than 4.4 billion yen to medical research institutions in Indo- ease the remaining restrictions on Japanese food imports intro- nesia and intended to continue cooperating in this area, to which duced following the Great East Japan Earthquake. President Joko also expressed his earnest gratitude. Furthermore, Prime Minister Suga stated that the ASEAN Outlook on the the two leaders welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Coop- Indo-Pacific (AOIP) drawn up by ASEAN last year shares many fun- eration on healthcare, promoting cooperation between the two damental commonalities with the ‘‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’’ countries in the fields of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, (FOIP), and that Japan fully supports the Outlook. He expressed human resource development, and medical services. his intent to advance cooperation for the ASEAN-related Sum- With regard to the resumption of cross-border travel between mit Meetings to be held next month. In response, President Joko the two countries, the two leaders affirmed that travel was made reference to the synergy between AOIP and FOIP in the resumed for business personnel, including candidates for nurses Indo-Pacific region and hoped that ASEAN and Japan would work and care workers under the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partner- together. In light of this, the two leaders agreed to continue their ship Agreement. They agreed to closely coordinate to reopen cooperation in the run-up to the ASEAN-related Summit Meetings. cross-border travel for short-term business purposes as soon as Both leaders agreed to continue to work closely together on possible, easing the 14-day stay period after entry. regional affairs including the South China Sea issue and North In terms of President Joko’s domestic priorities, Prime Minister Korea. Prime Minister Suga also asked for Indonesia’s cooperation Suga stated that he would promote infrastructure cooperation in for the early resolution of the abduction issue. Photographs and text courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Cabinet Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan 4 | highlighting japan Feature THE JAPANESE AND RICE THE JAPANESE AND RICE In Japan, rice is more than just a food. As the main staple of the national diet since antiquity, rice not only provides nourishment, it also defines landscapes, provides employment, and informs cultural practices and values ranging from festivals and rituals to the mottainai spirit of wasting nothing and the very notion of wa (harmony). In this month’s Feature, we take a look at a few examples of Japanese interactions with rice. Photo: Courtesy of The Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association NOVEMber 2020 | 5 Feature THE JAPANESE AND RICE Sato Yo-ichiro, Professor at the Faculty of Letters, Kyoto Prefectural University History and Culture Fostered by Rice ice has played a variety of roles over the Japan was taking form as a country, enormous course of Japanese history. We spoke to burial mounds were constructed in great num- RSato Yo-ichiro, a professor in the Faculty bers in the Kinki region. You could say that burial of Letters at Kyoto Prefectural University and mound construction was a large-scale national President of the Society of Japanese Food Studies, project. It required colossal labor and food. This about Japan’s history and culture of rice. is why the leaders of that time gathered a labor force, cultivated new land and then expanded the When did rice cultivation begin in Japan? paddy fields. Rice was an energy source for the Rice cultivation is thought to have started in the many workers. Yangtze River Delta in China about 10,000 years Starting in the early 8th century, the state ago and then spread to Japan through mainland began distributing land to people and collected China or the Korean peninsula, although the timing rice grown on that land as tax.