Per capita consumption volume of rice in Japan FY 2012-2021

In fiscal year 2021, the consumption volume of rice as a staple food in Japan amounted to less than 50 kilograms per person. While rice is one of the most important grains consumed in Japan, consumption declined steadily in recent years as foreign cuisine based on wheat flour grew popular among consumers.

Rice as a staple in the Japanese diet

Rice is a staple food in Japan and a major crop within the farming industry. The milled grains stand at the center of meals and are generally accompanied by several side dishes. The main type of rice consumed in Japan is of the Japonica variety, which is grown on paddy fields and polished to yield white rice. While brown rice is also cooked as a more nutritious variant to white rice or prepared as germinated GABA rice, it is sold as a specialty product compared to polished grains.

Rice processing

Rice does not only play a major role as a staple in the Japanese diet, but it is also consumed as a variety of processed foods in Japan, including rice vinegar, dishes made from rice flour, and the national beverage - sake. Apart from the direct processing of rice grains, flour is also produced as a side product in the milling process in industries like sake brewing. The main culinary uses of rice flour in Japan are as an ingredient in confectioneries like rice cake (mochi), snack foods, and dumplings (dango) among others.