Rice is a crop that is essential to the Japanese people. Rice-growing began in Japan about 2500 years ago. Japan is located in a temperate zone, blessed with quality water and sunshine and four distinct seasons: all favorable conditions for rice cultivation. The technology to make the most of this environment has progressed thanks to human effort. Presently, all over Japan, rice plants in paddies are neatly planted at equal intervals. Such views form part of the distinctive beauty of the rural Japanese landscape.
Strict quality control.
For rice growing, farmers have developed cultivation methods that take advantage of Japan’s rich natural conditions. At the same time, by using weather information and technology such as selective breeding, they have also acquired production techniques that are not easily influenced by external factors. Harvested rice is threshed and kept in cool storage warehouses below 15ºC (59ºF). Then, it is shipped in small quantities to meet consumers’ needs. Thus people can always expect fresh rice to be available in stores.
MAFF
http://www.maff.go.jp/e/foj/food/rice.html
