What is Japanese Short-Grain Rice?

Japanese rice is a type of Japonica short-grain rice that is short, plump, and rounded oval. It’s worth noting that outside of Japan, Japanese rice is often labeled as ‘sushi rice’ for marketing purposes. However, rice is used not just for making sushi, but also for everyday Japanese dishes. What sets Japanese rice apart from long-grain rice varieties such as basmati or jasmine rice is its high water content, which means the texture is more tender and moist. The grains contain less amylose—a type of starch that separates rice grains— than the long grains, giving them a more sticky, chewy texture.When cooked properly, the rice grains cling to each other without becoming mushy, allowing you to easily pick up the rice with chopsticks. You’ll also notice a beautiful glossy sheen on the surface of the rice. These unique characteristics of Japanese short-grain rice are essential because they allow us to make dishes like rice balls (onigiri) and sushi that need to stay in one piece. Sometimes I hear people calling Japanese rice “sticky rice” due to its sticky texture, but please know that ‘sticky rice’ is technically a different type of rice known as sweet rice or glutinous rice, which we use for making mochi (rice cakes). ?? To brush up your knowledge, I highly recommend reading Everything You Need to Know about Japanese Rice and Types of Japanese Rice.

Best Japanese Rice Brands

When it comes to high-quality Japanese rice, I recommend the Koshihikari variety, which is available in various brands at Japanese grocery stores. Known for its sweet taste and fragrance, Koshihikari is the most popular variety in Japan. I personally prefer the Toyama-grown Koshihikari imported from Japan, which is available at Japanese grocery stores (I purchase mine at Nijiya Market in San Mateo).For US-grown koshihikari rice, look for Shirakiku Rice, Tamaki Gold, and Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice. For brown rice, we enjoy Genmai Sukoyaka Brown Rice and Koshihikari Premium Sprouted Brown Gaba Rice. There are also other new cultivars such as Hitomebore, Akitakomachi, Tamanishiki, Tsuyahime, and so on. Each of them has unique characteristics that are different from Koshihikari.

What Kind of Pot to Use

Use a heavy-bottomed pot when cooking rice. The even heat distribution prevents the bottom of your rice from easily getting burnt. Personally, I love using Staub, especially for cooking rice. Compared to other popular Dutch oven brands, Staub features a better, tight-fitting lid that traps all the steam inside.An alternative option I recommend is a donabe—a Japanese earthenware clay pot. If you plan to use a donabe, I have a separate post on How to Cook Japanese Rice in a Donabe.

How to Measure Rice and Water

In Japan, rice is always measured with a rice cooker cup, which is 180 ml or American ¾ cup. To measure correctly, overfill a rice cooker cup (or a ¾-cup measure works well for this) with rice and level it off. Failing to level it off may result in your rice not having enough water to cook properly.

Rice-to-Water Ratio

One of the reasons people often struggle to make Japanese rice is due to using the wrong amount of water. There is a lot of misinformation online. To cook Japanese short-grain white rice, the correct rice-to-water ratio is as follows:The golden rule for the rice-to-water ratio [volume] is 1:1.1 (or 1.2).This means:I recommend getting a rice cooker cup (you can get it on Amazon) and using metrics to measure your water.

How to Wash the Rice

The technique of washing rice is often discussed, and each culture likely follows a different approach. Here are the quick key points:

Why Do We Soak the Rice?

Aside from using the incorrect amount of water for rice, another reason people struggle to make perfect Japanese rice is not soaking the rice. Since soaking isn’t necessary for other types of rice, you might assume it’s a waste of time or unnecessary. However, this results in rice that isn’t cooked through because the core remains hard.Consider the Japanese short-grain rice kernel: it has a plump body and requires a longer time to absorb moisture to the core. That’s why we give it a headstart by soaking the rice for at least 20-30 minutes.

How to Cook the Japanese Rice on the Stove

After 20-30 minutes of soaking, we’re now ready to cook the rice!

Cooking Tips

Here are 5 main tips to cook a perfect pot of glossy and tender Japanese rice:

Best Way to Store Cooked Rice

What’s the best way to store the leftover rice? Japanese people always freeze the rice! We never refrigerate the rice because it gets hard.I use a glass container with a lid. If you already know how much rice you will be using, pack away the freshly made rice immediately to seal in the moisture. Be sure to let it cool before putting it in the freezer.To reheat the rice, open the lid, place a wet paper towel over the glass container, and microwave. It’s just like freshly made rice. Pro Tip: I always pack different portions (one serving and two servings) so we can defrost the right amount.

Other Ways to Cook Japanese Rice

There are different methods to cook Japanese rice at home. Each method has its advantages, and Japanese households often own a few cooking pots/gadgets for different occasions and needs. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 4, 2013. It was republished with a new video and more helpful content on March 15, 2024.