Some ploblems of rice

Hello, everyone. This is a last time. Today, I will talk about some problems of rice.

First, modern Japanese don’t eat too much rice because kind of staple food has increased in Japan. It has begun to change Japanese life style since around 1965. Many foods is importing from abroad. They began to eat a lot of meat and fish. Opportunity to eat rice was reduced. So people began a new attempt.  

It is rice flour. It looks similar to wheat flour. It is used instead of wheat flour. Bread using rice flour is soft and delicious. However it culture is not yet well known for the Japanese. It will be also used for other foods.

Second, the number of rice farmers has decreased in Japan. On 2010, the number of rice farmers is about 1159 million in Japan.　

Japanese fermers

Old people will do most of the agriculture. Rice farmers have a hard time every day. They can’t lest because they need to make a delicious rice. In addition, making rice isn’t profitable. So they need to do other works. For example, they do both agricultural and company work. They must have a lot of money to create the environment. Please remember to see week 4. Japanese young people will not want to do the farming.

People start some campaigns in order to increase the farmers. Farmers give rice fields cheaply to young people who are interested in rice farming. And the Japanese government will help people to start rice farming. There are also plans to export rice to other countries but the problem has not been solved yet. This is a very difficult problem.

the article of Fukushima's rice

Third, we were faced with a big problem on March 11. It is the nuclear accident of Fukushima. It gave a heavy blow to farmers. Harmful substance has got off to a rice field. They will not be able to harvest rice. It will take a long time to clean the rice fields. We haven’t found ways how to resolve yet. However the rice farmers want to go back Fukushima someday. I’m praying that their wishes come true.

Japanese are having a lot of problems but we will continue to eat in the future. Japanese can’t live without rice.

Thank you for reading all my articles. It was difficult for me but I could get a lot of knowledge about rice. I hope you eat rice in Japan if you haven’t eaten rice. You will be able to understand a little about the culture of Japan. Food and culture are closely involved.

Goodbye, and please attention to your body.

The festival of rice

Hello, everyone. Today, I will talk about Japanese festivals of rice. Rice is important things for Japanese, so people have held many festivals of rice in Japan.

title of roce festival

It is the harvest festivals. Thanks to the God, people can harvest a lot of rice. They hold it festival because they deeply appreciate the God`s cooperation. The festivals hold in fall.

The young women take a little rice and offer it to the God. Japanese called “saotome” to them. And people march with “mikoshi,” and give a feast. The God get on mikoshi. It is big and so many men carry it together. The lively marching is old habit.

A large festival takes place in Niigata. Niigata is the place to take a lot of rice. It name is “Kome-hyappyou Festival.” Kome-hyappyou means a lot of rice. Pyou is a unit for measuring the weight of the rice. This festival has to do with war that took place 140 years ago. The people wearing kimono do the parade. They can learn about the history and rice.

Kome-hyappyou Festival

Recently, Japanese also held a new kind of festival. There was the rice festival in November 2012. It was held in Yokohama. It seems like a theme park. The guests will choose their favorite rice from a lot of kind rice. They are only the famous rice. And then they buy and eat the favorite side dishes with rice. They are many kinds from meat to vegetables. The people can find out how to eat delicious rice. At the festival has been held the stage event.

I am sure it would be fun. You also try to join these festivals if you have time.

The next article is the last. I will talk about some problems of rice. Please look forward to next time. See you!

Rice using dishes

Hallo. I will talk about rice using dishes. Rice using dishes are eaten a lot outside of Japan too. There are so interesting. These are a lot of it in the world. I will show you it.

sakura-mochi

First, it is “ohagi.” It was a valuable food a long time ago. Ohagi looks like rice balls, but it is refreshments. Japanese often eat it with bean paste. “Sakura-mochi” is similar it. Sakura means cherry blossoms. Sakura-mochi is pink and smells so good. It is wrapped in cherry leaves. It is eaten in the spring.

Second, “okayu” is very famous food in Southeast Asia. It is mushy rice. Japanese eat it when be sick, but Chinese eat it at any time. People used it instead of an oral medicine, because it is easily digestible food. In Japan, people eat special okayu when January 7^th. It is a traditional habit. It habit came from China. People make okayu with 7 kinds of wild herbs. Why Japanese eat it? Their stomachs get tired because they take part in the New Yare parties. They think it is important traditional habits.

oiri

Third, it is “oiri.” Oiri is rice using snack looks like jewel, so it is very beautiful. In my hometown, a newly married couple hand out it to guests when the wedding ceremony. That habit began in four hundred years ago. When the princess is marriage, farmers gave rice using snacks like oiri. Oiri is rounded, so it has meaning that the bride clean hers mind and do housework seriously. Oiri is the symbol of good bride.

Chinese eat rice noodles with meat and some herbs. They eat it as breakfast. There is also similar to it in South Asia.

In Europe, rice is used for puddings. People put milk, nuts and raisins in it, and bake in the oven. There are various kinds, but all sweet.

rice noodle

Next time, I will talk about Japanese festivals of rice. It is fun for me.

See you.

web sites 「米ネット　おこめものしりゾーン」
「ウィキペディア　プディング」

Became rice in the staple food

Hello, everyone. Today, I will talk about good points of rice. Rice is one of the Japanese staple-food because rice has a lot of good points. Japanese like rice.

First, rice contains a lot of nutrition. Most of the nutrition is carbohydrates and protein. We become stronger when we eat rice. For example, the movement of the body is good and gain strength.

Second, we don`t much fat when eat rice. Rice contains a lot of dietary fiber and moisture. And rice is large grain. Eating slowly is good for our body. Eating rice is great for dieting.

Rice balls

Third, rice grows in warm places. And we need much water when we grow rice. Environment of Japan is adapted to growing rice. There is warm place and have much water. We can harvest a lot of rice because the environment is suitable.
Fourth, rice is light taste. Japanese like it. They eat rice and side dishes at the same time. Rice is good for Japanese eating habits.

Fifth, crops can be saved for a long time. Rice is can save about one year. People can eat the grain when they cannot harvest. 



Rice is the important thing for Japanese. Now, I will talk about Japanese rice using dishes. First, I`m introduce rice balls. It is one of the very popular foods for Japanese. We often eat it at noon. So we can see it at Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores. It also used the student`s lunch.

Rice balls of  convenience store

In Japan, there are the rice balls when Japanese started to grow rice. People were called “Torinoko” to the rice balls because it is similar to eggs. Torinoko means the eggs. During the Heian era, Japanese ate it during the war. It is easy to make rice balls.

There is a lot of flavor to the rice balls. Japanese put the some fish and pickled plums and kelps in the rice ball. They eat the rice cakes with sweet bean paste and soy flour. History of rice cakes is as long as the history of rice balls. We decorate the rice cake on New Year`s Day. It is said that Japanese God came down to the rice cake. It made from glutinous rice, so it is fluffy and stick.

the rice cake

Next time, I will talk about unusual rice using dishes. See you again!