Japan’s ‘king of rice’ faces the heat

Shinnosuke rice, which can grow in hotter conditions, is hung to dry at the institute, where the variety was bred. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

CLIMATE change and record high temperatures are threatening to decimate Japan’s most cherished rice, koshihikari, and the country’s scientists are racing to save the crop.

Thankfully, in Niigata prefecture, Japan’s rice heartland, researchers have identified a DNA pattern in rice that resists heat. Now, they’re on a mission to breed this genetic trait into koshihikari, the much-loved rice that has dominated Japanese supermarket sales for over 40 years.