Which variety to buy first: a routing decision
Most home cooks only need to answer one question: which bag should I start with? The answer depends on where you live and what you cook most.
- Koshihikari — the default premium choice for daily table rice. Soft, slightly sweet, with a glossy finish and strong cohesion. If the store sells only one Japanese variety, it is likely this one.
- Akitakomachi — more affordable than koshihikari with a nearly identical profile. Slightly less sticky, equally suited to everyday bowls. A reliable second choice if koshihikari is unavailable or expensive.
- Calrose — the most available option in the United States and useful when Japanese imports are hard to find. Medium-grain, less sweet than koshihikari, but cooks up well with the same washing and soaking method.
- Haenuki / Sasanishiki — if you want lower stickiness and a cleaner grain separation. Better for dishes where the rice should stay more distinct rather than cling together.
For sushi rice specifically: any koshihikari or Calrose works — the technique matters more than variety (1:1.0 ratio, vinegar seasoning). For onigiri: koshihikari's stickiness holds the shape best. For okayu: variety is less important than the 1:5–7 water ratio — use whatever short-grain rice you have.
If your question is how to cook any of these once you have the bag, the method is consistent across all Japanese short-grain varieties — see How to Cook Japanese Rice.
Uruchimai vs mochigome: the foundational split
Before getting into individual varieties, one distinction matters more than any other: uruchimai versus mochigome. Nearly all table rice, sushi rice, and onigiri rice is uruchimai — regular short-grain rice with moderate stickiness. Mochigome is glutinous (sweet) rice, used specifically for mochi, sekihan (red bean rice), and certain festival dishes. Mochigome is not a substitute for uruchimai in everyday cooking; the starch structure is different, the water ratio is different, and the cooked texture is far stickier and denser.
Unless a recipe specifically calls for mochigome, you want uruchimai. Every variety discussed on this page is uruchimai.
Table rice (gohan): koshihikari, akitakomachi, yumepirika
For a plain bowl of steamed rice eaten alongside soup and side dishes, you want a variety with high amylopectin content, a slight natural sweetness, and good cohesion — grains that stay together without collapsing into paste. All three varieties below meet this standard.
Koshihikari
The benchmark for Japanese table rice. Amylopectin content sits around 80%, producing the characteristic soft, cohesive texture. Flavor is gently sweet and round. Stickiness is pronounced enough that the grains hold together easily when pressed — which is why koshihikari is also frequently used for onigiri. Origin matters: Niigata and Uonuma koshihikari are considered the regional gold standard, with more consistent flavor than domestic US-grown cultivars.
Akitakomachi
Developed from koshihikari in Akita prefecture. The grain profile is nearly identical — soft, slightly sweet, moderately sticky — but the price point is typically 15 to 20% lower. For everyday bowls where you are not comparing directly against premium koshihikari, akitakomachi is indistinguishable in most home cooking contexts.
Yumepirika
A Hokkaido variety introduced in 2010 that has become one of Japan's highest-ranked table rices in blind taste tests. Slightly softer and sweeter than koshihikari, with good moisture retention even as it cools. Less common in export markets, but worth buying when available.
If your question is about stickiness levels: all three varieties above are on the stickier end of the uruchimai spectrum. For less stickiness in a table rice context, look at sasanishiki or haenuki.
Sushi rice: koshihikari in most contexts, shinmai considerations
Sushi rice is not a separate variety — it is any good uruchimai short-grain rice seasoned after cooking with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Koshihikari is the most commonly used base because its stickiness holds nigiri shape well. Sasanishiki is preferred by some sushi chefs for its lighter texture and more distinct grain separation, which produces a rice bed that does not overpower delicate fish.
The key technical difference when cooking rice for sushi: reduce the water ratio slightly. Where table rice uses 1:1.1 by volume (rice to water), sushi rice uses closer to 1:1.0 by volume — the rice vinegar seasoning added after cooking contributes liquid, so you want the cooked rice slightly drier to start.
Shinmai (new-harvest rice) note: Shinmai — rice harvested in autumn and sold fresh from approximately October through December — has significantly higher natural moisture content than rice stored for six months or more. For sushi rice made with shinmai, reduce water by 5 to 10% compared to your standard ratio. Skipping this adjustment produces sushi rice that is too wet to hold shape cleanly after seasoning.
If your question is about the full sushi rice preparation method — seasoning ratios, temperature, folding technique — see How to Cook Japanese Rice for the base cooking steps.
Onigiri: cohesion requirement, why lower-stickiness varieties fail
Onigiri requires a rice that can be pressed into a stable shape and hold it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes without crumbling. The cohesion requirement is higher than for a plain bowl of rice because you are relying on grain-to-grain adhesion rather than the bowl to keep everything together.
Koshihikari handles this well. Akitakomachi handles it nearly as well. Varieties with lower stickiness — sasanishiki, haenuki, and most long- or medium-grain rices — produce onigiri that feel dry, crumble at the edges, and lose shape when wrapped in nori. If you are making onigiri frequently, choose a stickier variety rather than your daily table rice if those happen to differ.
One practical point: onigiri rice should be seasoned lightly — typically a small amount of salt worked in before shaping — and shaped while still warm, not hot. Rice that has cooled fully before shaping produces a firmer, less cohesive result regardless of variety.
Porridge and okayu: variety matters less, ratio and timing matter more
Okayu (Japanese rice porridge) tolerates a wide range of short-grain varieties because the extended cooking in extra water breaks down most of the textural differences between cultivars. Any uruchimai short-grain rice — koshihikari, akitakomachi, Calrose — works well for okayu. The standard cooking ratio is 1 part rice to 5 to 7 parts water for a soft porridge cooked 30 to 40 minutes on low heat.
Unlike table rice or sushi rice, there is no premium cultivar advantage for okayu. Older grain that you would not choose for a premium table rice bowl is perfectly acceptable here. If you have rice that is several months old and slightly stale for fresh eating, okayu is the right use for it.
If your question is about rice cooker okayu: see Rice Cooker Meals for the porridge setting and timing.
Shinmai: what new-harvest rice means in practice
Shinmai refers to rice harvested in the current season, typically arriving in shops from late September through December in Japan. The grain has higher natural moisture content than rice stored for six months or more — which produces a noticeably fresher, more fragrant result in the bowl, but requires adjustment in the kitchen:
- Reduce water by 5 to 10% compared to your standard ratio
- Watch for slightly more surface starch — shinmai may need one extra rinse cycle before the water runs clear
- Texture cools more slowly than older grain — rest time can stay at 10 minutes but do not shorten it
Rice sold outside of harvest season (January through August, roughly) is typically from the previous year's harvest. This is fine for everyday cooking, but it is why the water ratio adjustments listed above exist — aged grain absorbs water differently than fresh grain, and the same ratio produces different results across seasons if you do not adjust.
For the sensory detail on why shinmai koshihikari specifically smells and tastes different from stored grain: see What Does Koshihikari Rice Taste Like. For the cooking adjustments needed for shinmai — 1:1.05 ratio and an extra rinse cycle — see How to Cook Japanese Rice.
Where to go next
For the full taxonomy of Japanese rice — the hub covering flavor, texture, natural farming context, and no-waste use — start at the Rice hub. For the step-by-step cooking method that applies to all the varieties above, see How to Cook Japanese Rice. For what to do with cooked rice beyond the bowl — takikomi gohan, okayu, and one-pot variations — see Rice Cooker Meals.