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It is generally believed that rice landraces with long culms are susceptible to lodging, and have not been utilized for breeding to improve lodging resistance. However, little is known about the structural culm strength of landraces and their beneficial genetic loci. Therefore, in this study, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed using a rice population panel including Japanese rice landraces to identify beneficial loci associated with strong culms. As a result, the landraces were found to have higher structural culm strength and greater diversity than the breeding varieties. Genetic loci associated with strong culms were identified, and it was demonstrated that haplotypes with positive effects of those loci were present in a high proportion of these landraces. These results indicated that the utilization of the strong culm-associated loci present in Japanese rice landraces may further improve the lodging resistance of modern breeding varieties that have relied on semi-dwarfism.

Moti gome rice is characterized by its glutinous consistency and is very popular in Japanese cuisine. In general, rice is a cereal of great consumption worldwide and, being a seasonal product, its conservation and storage are justified. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of drying and storage conditions on the quality of Moti gome rice grains during their conservation. Rice drying was carried out under three conditions, that is, natural; artificial at 40 and 60 ºC and storage at two temperatures, 15 and 28 ºC for a period of 7 months. The physical qualitative characteristics (apparent specific mass and mass of one thousand grains), size and shape characterization, and benefit income (income, whole and broken yield) were evaluated. The results allow us to conclude that the artificially dried grains presented better physical quality when compared to those dried in the field. The type of drying did not promote important variations in the size and shape of the grains. The dry grain naturally has a lower whole yield than commercially required, lower yield and higher amount of broken grains. El arroz Moti gome se caracteriza por su consistencia glutinosa y es muy popular en la cocina japonesa. En general, el arroz es un cereal de gran consumo a nivel mundial y, al ser un producto de temporada, se justifica su conservación y almacenamiento. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de las condiciones de secado y almacenamiento en la calidad de los granos de arroz Moti gome durante su conservación. El secado del arroz se realizó en tres condiciones, es decir, natural; artificial a 40 y 60 ºC y almacenamiento a dos temperaturas, 15 y 28 ºC por un período de 7 meses. Se evaluaron las características físicas cualitativas (masa específica aparente y masa de mil granos), caracterización de tamaño y forma, y rendimiento de beneficio (rendimiento, rendimiento entero y quebrado). Los resultados permiten concluir que los granos secados artificialmente presentaron mejor calidad física al compararlos con los secados en campo. El tipo de secado no promovió variaciones importantes en el tamaño y forma de los granos. El grano seco naturalmente tiene un rendimiento total más bajo que el requerido comercialmente, un rendimiento más bajo y una mayor cantidad de granos quebrados. O arroz Moti gome é caracterizado por sua consistência glutinosa e muito apreciado em pratos da culinária japonesa. Em geral, o arroz é um cereal de grande consumo mundial e, sendo um produto sazonal, sua conservação e armazenagem são justificadas. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os efeitos das condições de secagem e armazenamento sobre a qualidade de grãos de arroz Moti gome, durante sua conservação. A secagem do arroz foi realizada em três condições, ou seja, natural; artificial a 40 e a 60 ºC e a armazenagem realizada sob duas temperaturas, 15 e 28 ºC por um período de 7 meses. Foram avaliadas as características qualitativas físicas (massa específica aparente e massa de mil grãos), caracterização do tamanho e forma, e renda de benefício (renda, rendimento de inteiros e quebrados). Os resultados permitem concluir que os grãos secos artificialmente apresentaram melhor qualidade física quando comparados com aqueles secos no campo. O tipo de secagem não promoveu variações importantes quanto ao tamanho e forma dos grãos. O grão seco naturalmente possui rendimento de inteiros inferior ao exigido comercialmente, menor renda e maior quantidade de grãos quebrados.

Rice is an important cereal and staple food crop in Tanzania, the rice production has not met the demand, mainly due to water shortage. Dissemination of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) has been in progress to improve production in upland rice ecosystem. A pot experiment was conducted in a split plot design at university farm to elucidate water uptake, water use efficiency and nitrogen uptakes for two NERICA cultivars (NERICA1 and 2) and two Japanese rice cultivars ( and ). Amount of transpired water was recorded every day until maturity. Nitrogen uptake at booting and maturity growth stage were compared between these cultivars. The results indicated that amount of water transpired was greater for NERICA cultivars in the period from booting to maturity, in particular, under the dry soil condition. All the cultivars showed similar slope of regression lines between amount of transpired water and dry matter production (Water use efficiency), Nitrogen concentration per unit weight was higher in NERICA rice than in Japanese rice during grain filling stage. These results indicate that NERICA’s rice cultivars have high productivity due to higher water and Nitrogen uptake during grain filling stage compared with the Japanese rice cultivars tested.

We demonstrated Japanese rice wine (sake) tasting using a fluorescent chemosensor array comprising polythiophene-based chemosensors functionalized with pyridinium boronic acid. The chemosensors bound to the components of sake (i.e., glucose and pyruvate) and showed changes in fluorescence as a result. To achieve on-site analysis, the chemosensor microarray was fabricated on a glass chip, for which an image pattern was rapidly recorded by using a CCD camera equipped with color filters. For high throughput and accurate analysis, the collected datasets were analyzed using pattern recognition techniques, and we discriminated between four nondiluted sakes based on the cross-reactive response of the polythiophene-based chemosensors. Moreover, the facile chemosensor sensor array succeeded in predicting unknown concentrations of glucose and pyruvate in diluted sake, which revealed its usability for drinks analysis. A fluorescent microarray comprising polythiophene-based chemosensors functionalized with pyridinium boronic acid has been developed for the detection of the components of sake such as glucose and pyruvate. The sensor microarray was fabricated on a glass chip for on-site detection utilizing imaging analysis and pattern recognition. The selected four nondiluted sake samples were discriminated by the cross-reactive response pattern. Moreover, the facile chemosensor array realized the prediction of unknown concentrations of glucose and pyruvate in the diluted sake, which indicated its usability for drink analysis.

There has been significant interest in the photosensitivity, or photo-resistance, of Japanese rice cultivars, which synthesize tocols (Vitamin E), a class of phytochemicals including tocol derivatives tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3). In the present study, the distribution of tocols in the leaves, seeds, stems, and roots of six Japanese rice cultivars was investigated. The relationship between the different tocols in cultivars and their ultraviolet B sensitivity index (USB–SI) was analyzed. The leaves contained the highest average total amount of tocols at 230 μg.fresh-g−1, followed by seeds, stems, and roots. In leaves and stems, the most abundant component was α-T which was more than 85%. On the other hand, the tocols in seeds were 38% δ-T3, 32% α-T, and 20% α-T3. The tocols in roots were 55% α-T, 14% γ-T, and 13% δ-T3. The total tocol content in four plant parts exhibited a negative correlation (P

Sake (Japanese rice wine) has been recognized as being low risk in terms of its microbiological safety. However, a confirmation of the food safety aspects of sake based on scientific evidence is important for establishing consumer confidence, in part because consumer concerns regarding food safety have increased. The presence of Bacillus cereus spores in refined rice wine has been reported, and in light of consumers' growing concern over food safety, the establishment of food and beverage safety is important for consumers' reassurance. Herein, to confirm the microbiological safety of sake, we investigated the content and growth of B. cereus. We conducted a spore addition test to determine whether B. cereus spores grow during sake production, and we observed no growth or germination of B. cereus spores during the manufacturing process. We also observed that processes such as solid-liquid separation and filtration help remove the risk posed by B. cereus. We then conducted a survey to assess the density of B. cereus in various commercial sake products. We analyzed 162 samples of commercial sake and observed that 11 of the products had ≥1 CFU of living cells in 1 mL of sake (detection rate, 6.8%). There was no product in which ≥100 CFU of living cells per 1 mL of sake was detected. Our findings confirmed that the density of these bacteria in sake is lower than that in other foods and that the probability of infection is very low. The emetic toxin produced by B. cereus was not detected in any of the sake samples. This is the first study based on experimental data demonstrating that B. cereus is not able to grow in sake or during the sake manufacturing process. We, thus, conclude that the safety risk of B. cereus in sake is negligible. Our findings indicating that B. cereus is not a significant hazard in the sake brewing process will contribute to food hygiene management based on scientific evidence in sake breweries. HIGHLIGHTS

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a green technology that can directly convert electrical energy from chemical energy contained in organic wastewater. Rice is the most popularly consumed food in Asia. Rice washing before cooking produces an enormous amount of domestic sewage. Rice washing wastewater (RWW) contains various organic matters, minerals, and vitamins. Therefore, in this study, we utilized RWW as biofuel to operate a floating MFC (FMFC). The FMFC was designed with the air-cathode floating on the biofuel and the anode immersed in the biofuel. This design enables the device to float on wastewater sources and to harvest electricity directly from that source. Baker’s yeast and bacteria existing in a natural pond (natural bacteria) were used as biocatalysts. Experimental results showed that the FMFC could generate electricity from RWW using both the baker’s yeast and natural bacteria. The maximum power density ow the FMFC using the baker’s yeast was 1 mW/m2.

The Japanese rice straw culture started from the Yayoi period, the start of wetland rice method of farming technique. The rice straw culture is spread across Japan, as the supply of the rice straw is high, and it does not require special tools to process it. The rice straw culture is performed both during the special events and everyday life. However, along with the modernization and industrialization of agriculture, the culture slowly disappears. It is increasingly difficult to find the rice straw culture in Japan. To prevent this, several rice straw communities create a movement to preserve the culture. Within their methods, the community focuses on pure preservation, preservation and development or pure development. An example of the community focusing on the preservation and development is the Inagaki Wara no Kai. With this method, this community help to preserve the traditional activities of Inagaki village while at the same time creating new events for wider community. The development is rooted in local and global issues and the process of preserving and developing the rice straw culture is documented through workshops, exhibition and festival. These activities are conducted in the cooperation with different stakeholders such as participants, research and development partners, facilitators, or sponsors.Keywords: community, rice straw, development, Japan

Improving the efficiency of machinery utilization is crucial in modern arable farming. As farms expand in scale, they need more machines, and more complex forms of organization are required to manage the appropriate and efficient utilization of an increasing number of machinery. In this study, we investigated relatively large‐scale rice farms in Japan and assessed the relationship between the types of organization and farm attributes, such as farmland conditions and human resources. While adjusting this effect with propensity scores, we then estimated how the type of organization affects the number of major machines and machine workdays. When compared on a same‐scale, same condition basis, family farms were the most sparing in the use of machinery, and even the farmland concentration effect, achieved by community farms, could not compensate for this difference. Our findings also indicated that nonfamily farms achieved high levels of machinery utilization with a greater operational scale (L23, M11, Q12).

Two Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, non-motile, non-spore-forming, catalase-negative bacteria, designated strains SG162T and NK01, were isolated from Japanese rice grain silage and total mixed ration silage, respectively. They were initially identified as Lactobacillus buchneri based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. However, the two strains were separated into a distinct clade from L. buchneri DSM 20057T (=JCM 1115T) through whole-genome sequence-based characterization, forming an infraspecific subgroup together with strains CD034 and S42, whose genomic sequences were available in the public sequence database. Strains within the subgroup shared 99.4–99.7 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 97.5–99.0 % digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) with each other, albeit 96.9–97.0 % ANI and 76.0–76.6 % dDDH against DSM 20057T. Strains SG162T and NK01 could utilize more substrates as sole carbon sources than DSM 20057T, potentially owing to the abundance of genes involved in carbon metabolism, especially the Entner–Doudoroff pathway. The inability of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production was evidenced by the lack of glutamate decarboxylase and glutamate/GABA antiporter genes in the new subgroup strains. Strain SG162T grew at 10–45 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 3.5–8.0, and 0–8 % (w/v) NaCl. Its genomic DNA G+C content was 44.1 mol%. The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 0, C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, and summed feature 8. On the basis of the polyphasic characterization findings, strains SG162T and NK01 represent a novel subspecies of L. buchneri , for which the name Lactobacillus buchneri subsp. silagei subsp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SG162T (=JCM 32599T=DSM 107969T), and strains CD034 and S42 are also transferred to L. buchneri subsp. silagei.

A sparkling-type draft cloudy sake (Japanese rice wine), AWANAMA, was recently developed using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment as a non-thermal pasteurization method. This prototype sake has a high potential market value, since it retains the fresh taste and flavor similar to draft sake while avoiding over-fermentation. From an economic point of view, a lower pressure level for HHP pasteurization is still required. In this study, we carried out a genome analysis of a pressure-sensitive (piezosensitive) mutant strain, a924E1, which was generated by UV mutagenesis from a laboratory haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, KA31a. This mutant strain had a deletion of the COX1 gene region in the mitochondrial DNA and had deficient aerobic respiration and mitochondrial functions. A metabolomic analysis revealed restricted flux in the TCA cycle of the strain. The results enabled us to use aerobic respiration deficiency as an indicator for screening a piezosensitive mutant. Thus, we generated piezosensitive mutants from a Niigata-sake yeast strain, S9arg, which produces high levels of ethyl caproate but does not produce urea and is consequently suitable for brewing a high-quality sake. The resultant piezosensitive mutants showed brewing characteristics similar to the S9arg strain. This study provides a screening method for generating a piezosensitive yeast mutant as well as insight on a new way of applying HHP pasteurization.

Sake, the Japanese rice wine, contains a variety of oligosaccharides and glucosides produced by fungal enzymes during the brewing process. This study investigates the effect of knocking out the Aspergillus oryzae α-glucosidase (agdA) gene on the transglycosylation products in brewed sake. In addition to α-ethyl glucoside and α-glyceryl glucoside, the amount of two compounds that have molecular mass values similar to that of ethyl maltose decreased by agdA gene knockout. Both compounds were synthesized, in vitro, from maltose and ethanol with purified agdA. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis identified the two compounds as ethyl α-maltoside and ethyl α-isomaltoside, respectively, which are novel compounds in sake as well as in the natural environment. Quantitative analysis of 111 commercially available types of sake showed that these novel compounds were widely present at concentrations of several hundred mg/L, suggesting that both of them are ones of the common glycosides in sake.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of contaminants of concern in agricultural crops, but little is known of their accumulation or behavior in grains. We grew Japanese rice (Oryza sativa subsp. indica) in lysimeters irrigated with tap water or tap water plus simulated contaminated water for 2 years, then analyzed the roots, straw, unhulled rice, white rice, bran, soil, and water for PFASs residues. Total fluorine was measured by combustion ion chromatography. Estimated per-plant residue levels were 3.0 pg perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (bran: 0.5%, hull: 99.5%), 0.54 pg N-ethylperfluorooctanesulfonamide (N-EtFOSA) (white rice: 67%, hull: 33%), 1.2 pg perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) (white rice: 13%, bran: 7%, hull: 79%), 0.68 pg perfluoropentanoic acid (hull: 100%), 0.50 pg perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) (white rice: 65%, bran: 16%, hull: 19%), 0.21 pg perfluoroheptanoic acid (hull: 100%), 0.25 pg perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (hull: 100%), and 0.12 pg perfluorodecanoic acid (PFNA) (white rice: 81%, bran: 19%). Estimated daily PFASs intakes were1-3 ng perfluorooctanesulfonamide,1-7 ng N-EtFOSA, 1-2 ng PFBA,3-4 ng PFHxA, and 1-2 ng PFNA. Estimated PFOS, PFOA, and total PFASs in straw feed were 0.4, 0.1, and 2 kg yr

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) have increased by more than 100 μmol mol−1 over the last century and are projected to rise further. Breeding cultivars with a greater response to elevated [CO2] (E-[CO2]) can be an effective adaptation to global climate change. We wondered whether E-[CO2]-responsive cultivars have been unintentionally selected through empirical breeding as [CO2] has increased. If so, modern cultivars may respond better to E-[CO2] than old ones. We conducted free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments in 2 years to examine whether rice cultivars bred in different eras differ in response to E-[CO2] and to determine any associated traits. We tested five Japanese cultivars: Aikoku (released in 1882), Norin 8 (1934), Koshihikari (1956), Akihikari (1976) and Akidawara (2009). The yields of Aikoku and Norin 8 increased by 19.3% and 30.3%, respectively, under E-[CO2], while those of Koshihikari and Akihikari increased by 15.9% and 3.4%, respectively. However, that of Akidawara, the newest cultivar, also increased by 19.0%. Norin 8’s strong response to E-[CO2] was associated with increases in both spikelet density and percentage of ripened grains, both of which were closely related to nitrogen uptake. These results suggest that breeding has not necessarily improved cultivars’ response to E-[CO2], and that selection for traits such as sink capacity and nitrogen uptake can be effective to improve rice productivity under E-[CO2].

Organic farming was developed to reduce agriculture’s negative impacts on the environment and enhance biodiversity for sustainable productivity in agricultural ecosystems, but the long-term effectiveness of its application in Japanese rice paddies is unclear. We sought to understand how long-term organic farming affects the abundance of animals in both the rice growth and fallow seasons, and how soil properties change. We investigated the abundance of fishes, frogs, beetles, and shellfish in the floodwater in summer, and the abundance of earthworms (mainly Enchytraeidae), arthropods (spiders and springtails), and soil properties in aerobic soils in autumn. We examined fields which had been farmed organically for 10 and 18 years in Tochigi, Japan. Fields farmed with conventional management, located close to the selected organic fields, were used as a control. All selected fields were located in a valley, which is the typical landscape of a traditional Japanese farming village, called a yatsuda in Japanese. The results showed an increase in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus in plowed soils that had been converted from conventional to organic farming both 10 and 18 years earlier. However, the abundance of various animals were not affected significantly by long-term organic rice farming, other than arthropods in the aerobic soils that had been farmed organically for 18 years. The quantity of most animals in floodwater and fallow season soil was unaffected by long-term organic rice farming in the yatsuda paddy fields, probably due to the circumstances and similar irrigation systems for both conventional and organic rice farming, as well as lighter doses of agrochemical application for conventional rice cultivation.

In Japan, rice production is undergoing a transition from acreage reduction to an improvement in efficiency and competitiveness. Owing to the global warming, irrigation management is increasingly important in maintaining soil temperature and fertility for rice productivity. This chapter aimed to measure the production efficiency of rice yield, using a two-stage DEA like the former chapter. The data comprised of 122 paddy fields of Koshihikari, one of the most popular Japanese rice varieties. The data was sampled from a large-scale farm located in the Hokuriku Region of Japan in 2015.

Sake-brewing cultivars among varieties of Japanese rice (Oryza sativa L.) have traits adapted to the sake-brewing process, such as a high white-core expression rate (WCE). Our previous study detected putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with a high WCE derived from Yamadanishiki, a popular brewing rice cultivar. Because the occurrence of white-core grains depends on air temperature and the position of the grain on the panicle, phenotyping of WCE must consider these variable conditions. In this study, qWCE6, a QTL for the WCE on chromosome 6, was validated for the first time, and the phenotyping method examined for its suitability in fine-mapping. A clear tendency towards high WCE was observed in late-heading substituted lines which headed under low daily mean temperature at the experimental location. White-core grains were often expressed by the primary spikelets on the upper panicle, producing a high percentage of superior grains. The segregating population for qWCE6 in late heading revealed a distinct difference in WCE between the Koshihikari and Yamadanishiki homozygous alleles at qWCE6 as determined from that locality. Further, two insertion/deletion markers were developed for the marker-assisted selection of qWCE6. Our results will be useful for informing the breeding of sake-brewing rice cultivars.

Blast furnace slag (BFS), a by-product of iron making, has been utilized as silicate fertilizer in Korean and Japanese rice paddy. Silicate fertilizer, which has high contents of active iron and manganese as electron acceptor, was newly known to suppress methane (CH4) emission in flooded rice paddies, but the effect of its long-term application on rice cropping environment is still debatable. To evaluate the effect of silicate fertilization on suppressing CH4 emissions, the changes of CH4 index, indicating the ratio (%) of seasonal CH4 flux at the silicate fertilization treatment to that at the control, were generalized using the global investigation data (42 observations from 8 fields in Bangladesh, China, and Korea). Seasonal CH4 fluxes significantly decreased with increasing silicate fertilization levels. In CH4 index changes, 1.5 Mg ha−1 of silicate fertilizer application (the recommended level of rice cultivation in Korea) decreased by 15% of seasonal CH4 fluxes. Rice grain yield highly increased with increasing silicate fertilization rates and maximized at approximately 4 Mg ha−1 with 18% higher than no-silicate fertilization due to overall improvement of soil properties. To evaluate the long-term silicate fertilization effect on rice cropping environments, silicate (1.5 Mg ha−1 year−1) and non-silicate fertilization treatments were installed in a typical temperate-monsoon climate paddy field in South Korea in 1990. Periodic silicate fertilization significantly increased rice grain productivity by an average of 14% over the control for the last 28 years. This fertilization evidently improved rice quality without changes in chemical quality. Consecutive silicate fertilization effectively improved soil physical and chemical properties but did not increase any acid extractable heavy metal concentration in soil. In conclusion, BFS as silicate fertilizer could be a beneficial amendment to mitigate CH4 emission in the rice paddy and improve soil properties and rice productivity and quality without hazardous material accumulation.

Water management is increasingly important for rice productivity to maintain soil temperature and fertility with the presence of global warming. Meanwhile, rice production in Japan is in urgent need to reduce the costs through improving the efficiency and market competitiveness. This paper aims to measure effect of water depth and water temperature on rice yield of individual paddy fields and improve the practice of water management for them. In the first stage, we measure the production efficiency of rice yield through the adoption of data envelopment analysis. The results indicate that enlarged scale of the paddy fields increases the efficiency, and rice quality can be improved more than quantity. Moreover, the most inefficiently used inputs include the amount of fertilizer nitrogen and the soil capacity, which is a compound measurement of 21 soil chemical properties. In the second stage, after comparing the 20 paddy fields with highest and lowest technical efficiency, an observation shows that the rice yield is much more affected by water temperature than by water depth. The data of all the variables used in this study were sampled in 2015 and comprised of 110 paddy fields of Koshihikari, one of the most popular Japanese rice varieties, from a large-scale farm located in Kanto Region of Japan. In the analysis, the outputs include yields of raw paddy, paddy with 15% moisture, unsorted brown rice, sorted brown rice, milled grain rice, and perfect grain rice. The inputs include the field area, air temperature, solar radiation, fertilizer nitrogen, soil capacity, and farming conditions.

Bacterial grain rot (BGR), caused by the bacterial pathogen Burkholderia glumae, is one of the most destructive rice (Oryza sativa) diseases in Japan; however, there are no BGR-resistant cultivars for use in Japan. We previously developed a cut-panicle inoculation method to assess the levels of BGR resistance in the World Rice Collection (WRC). Here, we evaluated major Japanese cultivars for BGR resistance and found that none showed "strong" or "medium to strong" resistance; most were categorized as "medium to weak". On the basis of the screening results, standard cultivars for BGR resistance were selected according to resistance level and relative maturity. Our results indicate that it is necessary to introduce quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from indica or tropical japonica resistant cultivars into Japanese temperate japonica to develop BGR-resistant cultivars for Japan. We previously developed a near-isogenic line (RBG2-NIL) by introducing the genomic region containing RBG2 from 'Kele' (indica) into 'Hitomebore'. In this experiment, we confirmed the resistance level of RBG2-NIL. The resistance score of RBG2-NIL was "medium to strong", indicating its effectiveness against BGR.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is one of the major causes of acute hepatitis and acute liver failure in developing and developed countries. Although effective vaccines for HAV infection are available, outbreaks of HAV infection still cause deaths, even in developed countries. One approach to control HAV infection is prevention through diet, which can inhibit HAV propagation and replication. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is a member of the heat shock protein 70 family of molecular chaperone required for endoplasmic reticulum stress and stress-induced autophagy. We previously showed that the elevation of GRP78 expression inhibits HAV replication. It has been reported that Japanese miso extracts, which was made from rice-koji, enhance GRP78 expression. In the present study, we used human hepatoma Huh7 cells and human hepatocyte PXB cells to examine the efficacy of Japanese miso extracts as antiviral agents against HAV. Japanese miso extracts enhanced GRP78 expression and inhibited HAV replication in human hepatocytes. Together, these results demonstrate that Japanese miso extracts may partly modulate GRP78 expression and additively or synergistically work as antivirals against HAV infection. Japanese miso extracts can be used as effective dietary supplements for severe hepatitis A.

Hot water- and water-extracted organic matter was extracted from soil samples collected after a 31-year long-term experiment which aimed to assess the effect of different fertilization strategies (inorganic fertilizers and organic matters) commonly used for paddy rice cultivation in Yamagata, northeastern Japan. The ratio of soil to extracted water was 2:3. The amounts of hot water-extracted organic carbon and nitrogen (HWEOC and HWEN) at 80 oC and 16 hours, water-extracted organic carbon and nitrogen (WEOC and WEN) at room temperature, and their δ13C and δ15N were measured from the five fertilizer treatment plots as [1) PK, 2) NPK, 3) NPK + 6 Mg ha-1 rice straw (RS), 4) NPK + 10 Mg ha-1 rice straw compost (CM1), and 5) NPK + 30 Mg ha-1 rice straw compost (CM3)], for surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-25 cm) layers. HWEOC and WEOC accounted for an average of about 1.51 and 0.66% of SOC, while HWEN and WEN accounted for an average of about 1.09 and 0.40% of soil TN, respectively. About 90% of the extracted N was organic form among all treatments. The values of δ13C for HWEOC and WEOC ranged from -28.2 to -26.5‰ and from -28.3 to -27.0‰, similar to the original rice straw and rice straw compost, and lower than the value of original soil at -22.5‰. The values of δ15N of HWEN, WEN and bulk soil ranged from 0.8 to 3.8‰, from 1.0to 4.0‰, and from 0.8 to 2.8‰, respectively. It was clear that δ15N decreased in RS but increased in CM3 treatments. Our results indicated that the amounts of hot water- and water-extracted organic matter were affected by long-term application of inorganic fertilizers and organic matters remarkably. However, the values of δ13C for HWEOC and WEOC were not different among 5 treatments, but values of δ15N of HWEN and WEN were affected by RS and CM3 applications clearly.

A field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during July to December 2003 to find out the effect of weed control on the performance of transplant Aman rice cv. BRRI Dhan 32. Weed control treatments Included in the study were no weeding, one hand weeding, two hand weeding, one hand weeding+one weeding with Japanese rice weeder, Rift@ 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 L ha-1 and Rostar@ 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 L ha-1. Important weed species found to infest the crop were Angta (Panicum repens), Acidgras (Ammania bacifera L.) Nackphulee (Cyperous difformis), Khudeshama (Echinochloa crusgalli) was the least important weed species. Higher doses of Rift 1.25L ha-1 and Ronstar 2.5 L ha-1 showed the best performance in reducing weed density and weed dry weight. The highest grain yield (5.0 4ton ha-1) was obtained from Ronstar 2.0 L ha-1 which was identical with the second highest grain yield (4.93 t ha-1) obtained from Rift 1.0 L ha-1. The highest net income of tk. 38915 ha-1 was obtained from Ronstar 2.0 L ha-1 and the next highest from Rift 1.0L ha-1.Progressive Agriculture 28 (4): 271-278, 2017

Koshihikari, a Japanese short-grain rice cultivar, was developed in 1956, more than 60 years ago. Despite its age, it has been the most widely grown cultivar in Japan for more than 35 years, making it the most important rice for the Japanese people. In its early days, there was no reason to predict that Koshihikari would become so widely disseminated. However, since the end of the post–World War II food shortage in the 1960s, Japanese preferences changed from high productivity to good eating quality. This triggered wide expansion of Koshihikari cultivation due to the cultivar’s excellent taste and texture. With increasing cultivation of Koshihikari in Japan, several good agronomic characteristics beyond its high eating quality became apparent, such as its good adaptation to different environments, tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting, and cold tolerance during the booting stage. These characteristics outweigh drawbacks such as its low blast resistance and low lodging resistance. The popularity of Koshihikari influenced subsequent rice breeding trends at regional agricultural experimental stations, and the characteristics of newly developed rice cultivars in Japan are usually rated relative to Koshihikari, which is used as the benchmark. Koshihikari was the first japonica rice cultivar whose whole genome has been sequenced by means of next-generation sequencing. Furthermore, comparison of the genomes of Koshihikari and Nipponbare has provided detailed insights into the genetic diversity of Japanese rice cultivars relative to that in rice populations elsewhere in the world. Further progress in rice genomics is gradually unlocking the mechanisms that underlie the agronomic characteristics of Koshihikari. To support both research and the development of novel rice cultivars, a series of isogenic and near-isogenic lines in the Koshihikari genetic background have been continuously developed. These new findings and materials will facilitate genomics-assisted rice breeding, eventually leading to superior cultivars. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12284-018-0207-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The research work was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during aman season from July to December 2015 to study the effect of nitrogen fertilizer and weed management on the growth and yield of transplant aman rice cv. BRRI dhan46. The experiment consisted of four fertilizer treatments viz. 0 kg N ha −1 (N 0 ), 40 kg N ha −1 (N 1 ), 80 kg N ha −1 (N 2 ) and 120 kg N ha −1 (N 3 ) and four weeding treatments viz. one hand weeding at 20 DAT (W 1 ), two hand weedings at 20 and 35 DAT (W 2 ), three hand weedings at 20, 35 and 50 DAT (W 3 ), weeding by Japanese rice weeder twice at 20 and 35 DAT (W 4 ) and unweeded control (W 5 ). The experiment was laid out in the randomized complete block design with three replications. The highest plant height (113.00 cm), number of total tillers hill −1 (8.74), number of effective tillers hill −1 (6.18), panicle length (21.98 cm), number of grains panicle −1 (114.20), grain yield (4.00 t ha −1 ), straw yield (5.25 t ha −1 ) and biological yield (9.25 t ha −1 ) were recorded in N 2 (80 kg N ha −1 ) treatment. The lowest plant height (106.00 cm), number of total tillers hill -1 (7.20), number of effective tillers hill −1 (5.00), panicle length (20.70 cm), number of grains panicle −1 (97.60), grain yield (3.52 t ha −1 ), straw yield (4.46 t ha −1 ) and biological yield (7.97 t ha −1 ) were recorded from N 0 (No nitrogen fertilizer control) treatment. On the other hand, the highest grain yield 4.23 t ha −1 was observed in three weedings condition because of the highest number of effective tillers hill −1 (6.81), number of grains panicle −1 (111.10). The highest straw yield (5.51 t ha −1 ) was also found in three weeding condition. The lowest grain yield (3.40 t ha −1 ) was recorded in W 5 (unweeded control) treatment. The lowest straw yield (4.31 t ha −1 ) was also observed in W 5 (unweeded control) treatment because of the smallest plant (106.97 cm) and lower number of total tillers hill −1 (7.20). Therefore, 80 kg N ha −1 along with three hand weedings at 20, 35 and 50 DAT may be used for obtaining the highest grain and straw yields of BRRI dhan46 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 16(1): 12-16, April 2018

There are two types of starter cultures used in Japanese rice wine (sake) fermentation, namely, sokujo-moto and yamahai-moto. Analyses of microbiota changes during sake production using yamahai-moto have already been reported. In this study, we analyzed microbiota changes during sake production using sokujo-moto. In addition, we sequenced bacterial DNA from the water used in sake production. The Lactobacillus DNA sequences, which are frequently detected during sake production using yamahai-moto, were not detected during sake production using sokujo-moto, indicating that the Lactobacillus DNA detected in sakes made from yamahai-moto is from the fermentation starter. Most bacterial DNA sequences detected in water were not found in the production samples of sake suggesting that these bacteria do not proliferate during sake production. Thus, most of the bacterial DNA sequences detected during the production may be from the bacterial contamination during the production process.

Background Japanese rice cake ("mochi") is a major cause of food-choking accidents in Japan. However, the epidemiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) due to suffocation caused by rice cakes is poorly understood. Methods OHCA data from 2005 to 2012 were obtained from the population-based OHCA registry in Osaka Prefecture. Patients aged ≥20 years who experienced OHCA caused by suffocation that occurred before the arrival of emergency-medical-service (EMS) personnel were included. Patient characteristics, prehospital interventions, and outcomes were compared based on the cause of suffocation (rice cake and non-rice-cake). The primary outcome was 1-month survival after OHCA. Results In total, 46 911 adult OHCAs were observed during the study period. Of the OHCAs, 7.0% (3,294/46,911) were due to suffocation, with choking due to rice cake as the cause in 9.5% of cases (314/3,294), and of these, 24.5% (77/314) occurred during the first 3 days of the New Year. In crude analysis, 1-month survival was 17.2% (54/314) in those with suffocation caused by rice cake and 13.4% (400/2,980) in those with suffocation due to other causes. In the multivariable analysis for all-cause suffocation, younger age, arrest witnessed by bystanders, and earlier EMS response time were significantly related to better 1-month survival. Conclusion Approximately 10% of OHCAs due to suffocation were caused by rice-cake choking, and 25% of these occurred during the first 3 days of the New Year. Further efforts for establishing preventive measures as well as improving the early recognition of choking and encouraging bystanders to call EMS sooner are needed.

Analytical algorithms based on Raman spectroscopy are proposed for the determination of amylopectin and amylose concentrations in polished white rice, and applied to characterize and compare linear and branched polysaccharide structures in nine different types of Japanese rice. A selected algorithm used symmetric bending vibrations of the C O C glycosidic linkage from a relatively narrow spectral zone between 830 and 895 cm−1. It specifically compared the intensity of Raman signals from two types of bending common to both starch components (C1-O-C5 and C1-O-C4 at 868 and 855 cm−1, respectively) and that at the branch point peculiar to amylopectin (C1-O-C6 at 844 cm−1). Raman data were confronted with data collected by conventional amylose-iodine colorimetry method. Consistency was found between Raman and colorimetric methods over the entire series of tested rice cultivars, thus validating the newly proposed spectroscopic algorithm. The amylose content of the tested rice species broadly varied between 1.2 and 20.4%. The proposed Raman algorithm allows fast and nondestructive determination of amylose content in rice with minimal sample preparation. These characteristics might be key in the development of portable Raman devices capable to promptly screen polysaccharides in different rice cultivars with respect to their interannual and plantation-related fluctuations.

We calculate partial factor productivity and total factor productivity (TFP) indices for rice production using panel data across 42 Japanese prefectures from 1996 to 2006, and perform panel unit root tests of TFP convergence across prefectures. We find that during this period, the partial factor productivity growth rates for capital, land and materials stagnated at the aggregate national level, as did the TFP growth rate, despite a large increase in labor productivity. We also identify evidence of a convergence in TFP across Japanese prefectures.

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas, and paddy fields are one of its main anthropogenic sources. In Japan, country-specific emission factors (EFs) have been applied since 2003 to estimate national-scale CH4 emission from paddy field. However, these EFs did not consider the effects of factors that influence CH4 emission (e.g., amount of organic C inputs, field drainage rate, climate) and can therefore produce estimates with high uncertainty. To improve the reliability of national-scale estimates, we revised the EFs based on simulations by the DeNitrification-DeComposition-Rice (DNDC-Rice) model in a previous study. Here, we estimated total CH4 emission from paddy fields in Japan from 1990 to 2010 using these revised EFs and databases on independent variables that influence emission (organic C application rate, paddy area, proportions of paddy area for each drainage rate class and water management regime). CH4 emission ranged from 323 to 455ktCyr-1 (1.1 to 2.2 times the range of 206 to 285ktCyr-1 calculated using previous EFs). Although our method may have overestimated CH4 emissions, most of the abovementioned differences were presumably caused by underestimation by the previous method due to a lack of emission data from slow-drainage fields, lower organic C inputs than recent levels, neglect of regional climatic differences, and underestimation of the area of continuously flooded paddies. Our estimate (406ktC in 2000) was higher than that by the IPCC Tier 1 method (305ktC in 2000), presumably because regional variations in CH4 emission rates are not accounted for by the Tier 1 method.

As Japanese rice wine (sake) brewing is not done aseptically, bacterial contamination is conceivable during the process of sake production. There are two types of the fermentation starter, sokujo-moto and yamahai-moto (kimoto). We identified bacterial DNA found in various sakes, the sokujo-moto and the yamahai-moto making just after sake yeast addition. Each sake has a unique variety of bacterial DNA not observed in other sakes. Although most bacterial DNA sequences detected in the sokujo-moto were found in sakes of different sake breweries, most bacterial DNA sequences detected in the yamahai-moto at the early stage of the starter fermentation were not detected in any sakes. Our findings demonstrate that various bacteria grow and then die during the process of sake brewing, as indicated by the presence of trace levels of bacterial DNA.

The background of the emergence of social protest of peasants in Indramayu during the Japanese occupation in 1944, originated from Syuuchokan mandate that imposes of obligations on the transfer of paddy 1 April 2603 until March 31, 2604. According to data contained in the newspaper Tjahaja, Rebo 12 Itigatu 2604, 11 Tahoen III, farmers are required to submit to the Japanese rice every harvest season. This study aims to determine public reaction to the policy of handing over rice Indramayu during the Japanese occupation. The theory that i use is the theory Mariasusai Dhavamony. The method used is the method of historical research that is heuristic, criticism, interpretation, historiography. The findings from this study that Indramayu farmers protested against the transfer of liability on the part of Japan, as they have confidence that rice is something sacred, rice is also extremely valuable for sustainable livelihood.

Japan and Thailand have joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which introduces cheaper US-produced rice into the domestic markets of these countries. This study investigates consumers’ preferences for cheaper US-produced rice in Japan and Thailand. To compare the willingness to pay for rice in these two countries, we employ a choice experiment that comprises five attributes: country of origin, fair trade label, cultivation method, taste ranking, and price. The random parameter logit model estimation results show that Japanese people prefer organic rice more than Thai people do and dislike US rice much more than Thai people do. Thai people prefer fair trade more than Japanese people do. The willingness to pay for taste ranking is identical across these countries. Taste ranking has the lowest and second lowest willingness to pay in Japan and Thailand, respectively. Further, gender is the most influential socioeconomic characteristic. Japanese women prefer premium rice with various attributes and dislike US-produced rice more than Thai women do. These results suggest that US-produced rice is unacceptable for Japanese people regardless of the price level, while it could be acceptable for Thai people if the price level is adequately low. Additionally, it is reasonable for Japanese rice producers to grow organic rice to compete in the market, while Thai rice suppliers prefer to enhance their fair trade labels.

This study aimed to determine the appropriate steam treatment conditions, using a steam nursery cabinet, to break the dormancy of Japanese rice cultivar seeds exhibiting various dormancy levels. The influence of the temperature and duration of the steam treatments on the germination percentage and germination rate was investigated. In highly dormant ‘Takanari’ seeds, the steam treatment at 40 °C for 7 d increased the germination percentage and decreased the 50% germination time (T50S; based on seed number); this treatment was as effective as the dry heat treatment at 50 °C for 7 d. For the medium dormant ‘Moeminori’ and ‘Hitomebore’ seeds, the steam treatment at 40 °C for 5 d decreased T50S sufficiently and more effectively than did the dry heat treatment at 50 °C for 7 d. For the slightly dormant ‘Moeminori’ seeds, the steam treatment at temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 40 °C for 7 d decreased T50S without a corresponding decrease in germination percentage to