Grains ── Rice varieties
Akamai
red-husked rice tied to old harvest rituals
An ancient category of rice said to carry a reddish bran layer; low-yielding but tied, it's said, to Shinto harvest rituals still kept at shrines like those on Tsushima. Traces of red rice are said to have been found at Jomon- and Yayoi-era sites, making it among Japan's oldest rice lineages.
What it's made of
Said to be an ancient category of rice with a reddish bran layer, its tannin-based pigment sometimes said to leak from the seed coat deep enough to tint the aleurone layer beneath it as well. Said to draw nutrients vigorously and to resist pests and shifting conditions, but its tall, lodging-prone stem and low yield are said to be its drawbacks. Said to lose its reddish tint once milled, it's a variety meant to be eaten unmilled or partially milled to enjoy both color and flavor. Said to vary in the depth of its red hue depending on the specific variety.
How it's made
Said to be unsuited to large-scale cultivation because of its low yield, its cultivation is still said to be kept alive at shrines around the country for use in Shinto ritual — among them Tsushima's Takutsudama Shrine, Tanegashima's Hōman Shrine (a history said to span some 2,000 years), and Okayama's Kokushi Shrine. At the Tsushima shrine, planting and harvest rituals for red rice are said to be held at set times each year, kept alive as a local tradition.
Why it took this shape
Wooden tablets from the Asuka-kyo ruins, dated to the late 7th through late 8th century, are said to record red rice sent as tribute from Tanba, Tango, and Tajima. The folklorist Yanagita Kunio is said to have argued that red rice was the origin of celebratory red rice dishes (sekihan), and the color's sacred associations are thought to be part of what has kept it alive in Shinto ritual. Because of this ritual use, red rice is said to be treated as more than just an ancient grain — bound up with local faith and daily life.
Before you go
- Foods to look for in autumnA guide to foods often seen in Japan around autumn — returning bonito, Pacific saury, new-crop rice, matsutake, chestnuts, and tsukimi dango — with rough pointers for finding them.
- Osechi and zoni for the New YearA guide to the meaning behind osechi's tiered boxes, the regional differences in zoni (square vs. round mochi, clear vs. miso broth), and the nanakusa-gayu custom.
- Setsubun: ehomaki and lucky beansA guide to ehomaki, the uncut sushi roll said to be eaten facing a lucky direction on Setsubun, and to mamemaki, the bean-throwing custom with roasted lucky beans.
Dishes in the same style
- AkitakomachiA Koshihikari cross bred for Akita's cool climate, said to carry a lighter sweetness and moderate stickiness, long favored as an everyday table rice. Named, it's said, after the legendary beauty Ono no Komachi, it ranks among Japan's most widely planted varieties.
- Date MasayumeSaid to be Miyagi's brand rice developed as a successor since Sasanishiki, with large grains, umami and stickiness; its name nods to Date Masamune. Said to be the first Miyagi rice to earn 'special A' ratings in multiple consecutive years.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Contrast
- KuromaiAn ancient rice group said to carry anthocyanins in its blackish-purple bran; mixed sparingly with white rice, it's said to tint the pot purple, and was once treated as medicinal. Long treated in China as a 'medicinal rice', it's said to be drawing renewed attention for its nutritional profile.
- HimenomochiA mochi rice said to be smooth on the palate and resistant to cracking when pounded; bred in Kumamoto and widely grown across Kyushu. Said to be one of the mainstay varieties supporting mochi-rice production in western Japan.