Japanese short-grain rice ( japonica rice) is fundamentally different from long-grain rice. It’s plumper, stickier, and requires different handling.

Choosing Your Rice

Premium Japanese rice varieties:

  • Koshihikari (コシヒカリ) — The gold standard. Grown throughout Japan. Chewy, sweet, slightly glossy. 80%+ of premium Japanese rice.
  • Akitakomachi (あきたこまち) — Northern Japan variety. Softer, less sticky than Koshihikari.
  • Sasanishiki (ササニシキ) — Miyagi Prefecture. Less sticky, lighter texture. Preferred for sushi and onigiri.
  • Hitomebore (ひとめぼれ) — Cross between Koshihikari and Akitakomachi. Good balance.

The Method

Step 1: Measure 1 rice cooker cup (180ml) = 2 servings. Standard home meal: 2 cups.

Step 2: Wash (最重要)

  1. Add rice to a bowl, cover with cold water
  2. Swim rice in circular motion with your hand, drain (discard cloudy water — it’s excess starch)
  3. Repeat 4–5 times until the water runs nearly clear
  4. Drain thoroughly in a sieve for 1 minute

Step 3: Soak Cover washed rice with fresh water. Soak for 30 minutes (summer) or 1 hour (winter). This allows the grains to absorb water and cook evenly.

Step 4: Cook

  • Rice cooker: Press start. The machine handles the rest.
  • Stovetop: Add water to the first knuckle of your index finger (traditional method). Or use the ratio: 1 cup rice : 1.1 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to low, cover, 13 minutes. Remove from heat, rest 10 minutes (lid on, no peeking).

Step 5: Rest After cooking, let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a shamoji (rice paddle) using a cutting and folding motion — not stirring.

Sourcing: Japanese rice variety classifications from MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) crop production statistics (maff.go.jp). Cooking method verified by JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) rice preparation guidelines.