Tango Koshihikari rice: water, nature, science

town and culture 1.15.2021

The Tango region in the northern part of Kyoto prefecture cannot be said to be "a land where rice grows easily." So why is "Tango Koshihikari" rice grown here so highly rated? Tango Koshihikari is a rice that has won the highest rank of "Special A" (a taste ranking by the Japan Grain Inspection Association) the highest number of times in western Japan, 12 times in total.

The characteristics of the exquisite Koshihikari are sweetness, umami, and stickiness. It is a variety that meets all the criteria for “delicious rice that excels in Japanese Cuisine.” Among its greatest strength is that it’s a rice with a lot of flavor, and is also delicious even when not served hot (as in bento lunch boxes or onigiri (rice balls)).

However, in reality, it is hard to say that Tango is a land where rice should thrive. There are no wide open plains as the area is dominated by mountains and forest, making it less conducive to efficient rice cultivation.

So how was Tango Koshihikari appraised so highly? Actually, Tango rice farmers have two reasons why they believe Koshihikari here succeeded. One reason is the water. The other is the people.

Salmon, with a nose for good water, swim upstream in the beech forest of Tango

Tango’s terrain is quite compact for how much diversity there is, from the mountains, springs, to forests, rivers, Japan Sea, and the towns where people live as if woven into it all. The towns here blessed with abundant and good quality water that supports jobs requiring large amounts of H2O. The amount of animals in the area is also a testament to the quality of the water here as well. Salmon swim up the Noda River, which flows through the towns of Tango and Yosano, and storks flock to the rice fields here. Beech forests as well are dependent on water for their survival, and they cover the mountains of Kyotango.

Farmers recognize that the Tango Region is a location rich in water. And not only farmers, but also the world of sake, where water greatly affects the flavor. In this area there are a dozen sake breweries. This need for high quality water even extends in to the world of silk, where water quality plays an important role. With that in mind, the Tango area is world famous for silk production, and is the production center in Japan. This is all thanks to water.

In addition, the region has its own rare climate called the “uranishi,” responsible for keeping the area humid and moist. The mountains that store this water are right next to the towns, so there is always plenty of water. It is no exaggeration to say that rice grown in paddies are grown in water. Even during years with water shortages nationwide, Tango has abundant water and doesn’t suffer from extreme water shortages. Here, the climate also has large temperature differentials, which is something else that helps with rice cultivation.

The second important factor to the success of rice in the Tango region is the people. This article in particular will talk about two groups of young farmers (there are many in this region) who are constantly researching and working hard to grow rice.

Komenoka Shiroshita, data driven coexistence with nature

Mr. Shiroshita is a 7th generation grower at "Komenoka Shiroshita" (Rice Farm Shiroshita). Komenoka Shiroshita is one of the rice planting groups practicing agriculture in the town of Amino in Kyotango City. Mr. Shiroshita explained that he learned how to grow rice from his father who was studying rice at university. Like his father Mr. Shiroshita has learned a lot, and is still learning independently to keep his own knowledge fresh. Currently, they are developing rice cultivation based on careful data analysis that does not overly rely on the senses.

Mr. Shiroshita shared an interesting story.

"Recently, I'm interested in reading the weather. I can read the weather about three days out because I can see the data presented by the Japan Meteorological Agency as well as the rest of the world. For example, when a typhoon is coming it produces a phenomenon called a Foehn wind, which means dry hot air. In anticipation of this, I pour water into the rice fields. Because the water can’t be added all at once, it takes planning, and predicting the weather ahead of time is an important component.”

It’s often said that farmers fight against nature, but in the case of Mr. Shiroshita, he focuses on how to coexist with nature.

| “Simply put, rice is delicious.”

Mr. Shiroshita was 21-years-old when he took over the family business. Surprisingly, the reason why he decided to pursue agriculture at a young age was for the simple reason that "rice was simply delicious."

When talking about his time as a college student, mainly eating out while living alone, he said, "When shops and restaurants were closed, I ate the rice that my parents sent from home. At that time, the rice was stored in a closet that was sometimes over 40 degrees Celsius, and the small dishes I made weren’t anything more than kombu strips cooking in soy sauce, but the rice was still delicious. Also, when I graduated from university, it was during a wide spread hiring freeze, and the family business seemed to be doing great.”

Mr. Shiroshita decided to take on the challenges of rice cultivation. Of the process, he says that it "makes the mind and body healthier. It feels good seeing the results of the rice growing (slowly) in front of me. The job really has a one to one corollary, I get out of it what I put into it.

As with many jobs, agriculture is one that gives a stronger sense of life and value.

| Steady data collection for evaluating rice

But even people as fastidious as Mr. Shiroshita can’t manipulate nature every day.

"There has never been weather like the rainy season we saw this year that continued until August. I just try to adjust my work while looking at the actual rice along with the data, and trying to use the data as much as possible (not just have it). "

For example, you can use a device that measures the color of leaves which allows you to see the condition of fertilizer, or you can put a measuring stick in the water of a rice paddy to consider how well the roots are doing based on how much water is reduced over time. Mr. Shiroshita says that he has been measuring everything since around 2017.

"I want to lose my gut instinct!" he laughs. Using data, the work becomes a steady process. But ultimately, it's work that requires a human touch and human interaction. Mr. Shiroshita is a talented person who wins a prize every year in rice competitions, but it seems that, since he started collecting data, that his standings in the rankings have risen.

| The secret to delicious rice is simple: it’s personality.

I asked Mr. Shiroshita about the secret to making delicious rice. And he said, "To put it simply, I think it’s personality."

The taste is a reflection of the simple people in the Tango region who grow the rice. Mr. Shiroshita says that crops are straightforward, so if you put in the effort you will get the results of your labor.

Although Tango is a relatively cool area, the temperature in summer can still reach around 38 ° Celsius. With that in mind, is it possible to use water freely in the summer?

Mr. Shiroshita says, "If humans think that life is difficult, it’s also difficult for the rice." What people can do by hand is a reflection of their personality, and rice is also an aspect of this.

"I was born here. My house was a farm, My mother was a dietitian, and I grew up with food. So I want to contribute to the community through food."

Behind this data-based farmer, is his love for the region and food.

AGRIST Making farming cool.

Next, I would like to introduce AGRIST Co., Ltd., an agricultural corporation in the town of Yosano, which merged two companies in 2020 and became a large-scale farming organization. Their goal is to protect the farmland in the area, and hopes that younger generations will think that the agricultural profession is "cool". With that in mind, two of the younger members formed a team.

AGRIST's farming style adheres to old-fashioned work. Rice grows with or without it, but the taste seems to improve and production volume increases when farmers tend closely to their crops. For example, during the rice fertilizing time. Fertilizer is applied once the ear of rice shows itself, but it’s not possible to use machines so you have to carry the fertilizer into the rice field. "Although you can just use a one time fertilizer, we don’t do that," says Mr. Ota. Closer management of what the rice needs leads to quality improvement.

| Keeping steady during abnormal weather

However, the two young members of AGRIST find it difficult to respond to changes in the natural environment. "Things haven’t been going as usual. We are working through how to deal with the high temperatures and extreme weather changes in the last few years. There are various things we can do, but still, it’s difficult."

In order to offset some of the impacts of climate change, they said that they are doing things like introducing organic materials to the soil, making soil, and putting effort into drying rice fields. Drying the rice fields enables farmers to work more efficiently.

However, they say, "The Tango area’s field are predominantly wet fields that are hard to dry.”

If you are looking for efficiency in farming, Fukui and Shiga prefectures have better conditions. As mentioned above, Tango has very few open plains, and there are many farmlands in the mountains that suffer from difficult work and animals. The fact that the work can’t be done efficiently means that growing delicious rice is a difficult task with a lot of management.

| Committed to protecting the farmland, and then some.

Even in such an environment, he explains that the reason he doesn’t want to make any concessions is "to protect the farmland of the town where I was born and raised. That's all."

They are quick to pick up the mud that occasionally gets on the road while farming. They view keeping the farmland and area clean is part of their duty. When asked why they do this, Mr. Ota replied, "I don't feel good when the road is dirty. I'm renting farmland from people, so I want to respect the land and the landowner. There’s another aspect about protecting farmland that is unique to areas like Tango. Because of the mountainous terrain, a large amount of water flows down into the town when it rains a lot. It’s times like these that the farmland actually acts as a dam, preventing the town from flooding.

Growing rice is not just about growing. Looking after the farmland and protect the area are integral to that process. Rice cultivation is about protecting people’s lives at various levels.

| Four professionals across generations. Four commitments.

"I don’t think growing on a larger scale means you can’t do a good, thorough job," says Mr. Ota. They keep the amount of pesticides as low as possible, with the belief that, because people eat it, they should care about how it’s made. They also grow rice that has been certified as organic to the JAS (Japan Agricultural Standard). They run a large scale operation, but even when they started there was a collective effort to produce quality rice, rather than trying to lower costs and sacrifice quality.

In the background was Mr. Ota father, along with Mr. Narumi and his son, the young Ota’s partner. These young partners also work with their fathers, who share the same ideals about growing rice. Mr. Ota says, “We have four people committed to the cause.”

Two fathers and two sons, all four of them rice growing professionals with high ideals.

Recently, other young people have joined the company’s vegetable growing division. More and more, young, vibrant farmers look to be headed this way.

Nature ＋ Heart. Tango Koshihikari.

In fact, Tango is also said to be the birthplace of rice cultivation.

It is said that Toyouke, the guardian deity of textiles, food and shelter enshrined in the outer shrine of Ise Jingu, was invited by Amaterasu (Shinto Sun Goddess enshrined in Ise) to Tango so Amaterasu would have company (and someone to cook for her!). In Tango, there is a legendary rice field in the shape of a crescent moon, which is said to have been where Goddess Toyouke first planted rice. Since Toyouke was called to the area by the sun goddess from the distant land of Tango, does that imply that the Tango region’s food was of paramount importance? Although there is no expectation of large scale rice production now, the Tango area supports such a rich food culture and has a favorable environment in terms of quality.

However, labor done by hand is how farmers take full advantage of the natural environment. Solid, heartfelt work, without cutting corners or compromising, this is how personality is infused into the taste of the rice. Doing good work for rice without compromising and cutting corners.

Nutrient-rich, high-quality water, the natural environment, and people with passion and a love for making rice: this is the foundation for delicious rice. The region’s Tango Koshihikari rice has grown as a brand in this very way.

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