Grains ── Rice varieties
Mori no Kumasan
Kumamoto's ‘bear of the forest’ premium rice
Said to have been bred by Kumamoto aiming for 'the tastiest rice in Japan', with large grains and strong stickiness and sweetness, now a local flagship. Named after Kumamoto's mascot bear, it's said to score well in the prefecture's own taste contests.
Lineage
What it's made of
Said to have large grains with strong stickiness and sweetness. Said to keep a firm grain feel while staying soft on the palate, and to hold its flavor when cooled, it's said to have long been treated as a flagship of Kumamoto-grown rice, scoring well in the prefecture's own taste contests. Said to carry a rich aroma when freshly cooked, with each grain carrying enough presence for a satisfying bite. Its bright whiteness is also said to be well regarded.
How it's made
Said to have been bred by Kumamoto's agricultural research center aiming for 'the tastiest rice in Japan', bred in 1997 and registered as a variety in 2000. Said to carry Koshihikari and Hinohikari lineage, it's said to have been selected repeatedly for large grains and resistance to lodging. Breeding is said to have prioritized both a large, lodging-resistant plant form and quality that holds up even in fierce heat.
Why it took this shape
Kumamoto is said to be well suited to rice farming, blessed with Mount Aso's spring-fed water and broad plains. Breeding is said to have pushed for quality on that foundation, and its name is said to nod to the well-loved Japanese children's song 'Mori no Kumasan' (the bear in the forest) — a flagship brand for the prefecture. Kumamoto is also said to have leaned on its bear mascot imagery to build recognition for the variety as a prefectural brand rice. Also said to be a frequent top seller at farm-stand shops across Kumamoto.
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.
- Regional harvest food festivalsAcross Japan, harvest festivals and "taste festivals" featuring local produce and seafood are said to be commonly held each autumn, with stalls selling new rice, seasonal fruit, and local dishes.
Dishes in the same style
- AkamaiAn 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.
- 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.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known source
- Known source: Kumamoto
Marketed as Kumamoto's brand rice.