Japan Farmers Adopt Heat-Resistant Rice to Combat Climate Crisis

Farmers across Japan are rapidly adopting heat-resistant rice varieties, such as hinatamaru, to protect the country's staple crop from record-breaking temperatures and below-average rainfall. These strains prevent the formation of chalky, immature grains that typically occur when temperatures remain abnormally high after flowering.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, heat-tolerant rice now covers 248,000 hectares across 44 of the country's 47 prefectures. Adoption is most concentrated in the south-west; in Saga prefecture, these varieties account for nearly 67% of rice acreage, the highest rate in the country. Other regions including Nagasaki and Shimane have seen adoption rates of just under 50% and 47%, respectively, while uptake remains low in the north-east.

This agricultural shift follows the Reiwa rice crisis, which triggered severe shortages and price hikes that forced the government to release emergency stockpiles. Ikumi Toyota of Greenpeace Japan warned that systemic climate disruption puts national food security at risk, noting that over 50 years of accelerating heatwaves have pushed iconic agricultural hubs past their thermal limits.