Koshiibuki

Said to have a light taste, carrying Koshihikari lineage while suiting everyday use. Its grains are said to have a crisp texture and a reputation for high quality, positioned as an early variety that lets shoppers taste the new crop first. Said to have a mild aroma when freshly cooked, its grains keeping a firm, manageable shape. Its grain size is also said to run slightly smaller than Koshihikari's.

Said to have been bred at the Niigata Agricultural Research Institute by crossing 'Tohoku 143' (later Hitomebore) as the mother with 'Yamagata 35' as the father in 1988. Bred to harvest roughly ten days earlier than Koshihikari, timed as a late early-maturing variety, and adopted as a recommended variety in 1999. Bred also with an eye toward growers' existing Koshihikari know-how, meant to fit easily into established production systems.

Niigata is Koshihikari's main growing region, but a harvest that lands all at once across the prefecture is said to strain both labor and processing capacity. An earlier-harvesting variety is said to have been placed to spread that load out, its name combining Koshihikari's 'koshi' with 'ibuki', evoking Niigata's climate, aimed, it's said, at a 'fresh, vigorous rice for the 21st century'. Shipments within the prefecture are said to begin in early September, often the first new-crop rice to appear on shelves that year.