Yamada Nishiki Sake Rice (Qualities, Taste, & Growing Regions)

Last Updated: 1/27/2021

No sake rice is as highly-prized as Yamada Nishiki. It’s often called the king of sake rice because it can make super high-quality sake.

In this article, we explain why, where it’s grown, and what famous sake use this rice type.

Yamada Nishiki 山田錦 polished to 50% — Yamada Nishiki (山田錦) polished to 50%

What Does Sake Made from Yamada Nishiki Taste Like?

Sake made with Yamada Nishiki tends to be fragrant, fruity, elegant, and complex.

Yamada Nishiki also polishes well without breaking. This makes it adept at making light and fruity ginjo-shu sake.

Two bottles of Dassai sake in a wooden room. — The famous sake brand Dassai only used Yamada Nishiki rice for their products. Additionally, all of their sake is milled to at least 50%

Characteristics of Yamada Nishiki Rice

Yamada Nishiki rice is number one in production (of shuzokotekimai, or sake-only brewing rice) despite being quite difficult to grow. At over 3 feet (107 cm) tall and with large grains, Yamada Nishiki is easily knocked over by the wind (lodged). You won’t find it grown on flat land for that reason.

The large grains of Yamada Nishiki are a desirable characteristic, despite the challenges presented by their heft. They contain a high amount of shinpaku (≈ 75%), and a low amount of protein. The Average grain weight of Yamada Nishiki (per 1000 grains) is 26.5 grams.

Beyond that, Yamada Nishiki is very friendly to brewers and relatively easy to control during the production process. Brewers across Japan ship-in this grain to make quality sake.

brown and milled Yamada Nishiki rice — Yamada Nishiki 35% vs Unmilled

Yamada Nishiki History and Rice Growing Regions

Yamada Nishiki was created in Hyogo in 1923. It’s a cross between Yamadaho 山田穂 and Tankan Wataribune 短稈渡舟.

While this sake rice is grown in Okayama, Fukuoka, Tokushima, Shiga, and Kanagawa, it is principally associated with Hyogo. In 2019, a total of 22,916 tons of Yamada Nishiki were harvested in Japan. Nearly 20,000 tons of that came from Hyogo.

Yamada Nishiki field outside Nada, Hyogo — A Yamada Nishiki rice paddy in Hyogo.

Legendary Kato-shi: Japan’s Answer to Burgundy

The hilly area around Kato-shi (加東市) is said to grow the best example of Yamada Nishiki. The famed town of Tojo (東条) was located here and still appears on the label of some ultra-fine Yamada Nishiki sake. Other prominent places here include Miki-shi (三木市) and Yokawa-cho (吉川町).

These are the Yamada Nishiki equivalents to the villages of Burgundy. Many of Hyogo’s top-ranked “Special A” (“Toku A”, 特A) class sake rice comes from here. And unsurprisingly, it’s highly allocated.

Kato-shi Yamada Nishiki rice plants are well-sheltered from the wind. The exposure also has a favorable southwest orientation. Due to the hilly nature of the area– rice paddies are small. Most farmers here don’t own much acreage.

Within Kato-shi, Akitsu (秋津) is considered the finest Yamada Nishiki paddy. Law stipulated its rice must be hand-harvested and dried. Other elite rice paddies include Tenjin (天神), Shobu Dani (少分谷), Kami Kume (上久米), Shimo Kume (下久米), Fujita (藤田), Uematsu (上松), Oshima (大島), and Maki (槙).

Yamada Nishiki test plot — A test plot of Yamada Nishiki at the Kobe Shushinkan brewery.

Ouzo Yamada Nishiki

There are areas outside of Kato-shi that produce good Yamada Nishiki rice as well. Ouzo-cho (大沢町) is near Kato-shi is also highly regarded. Kobe Shushinkan’s Fukuju brand of sake sources a lot of rice from here.

Awa City, Tokushima: The Nada of Shikoku

Awa-shi (阿波市) in Tokushima is also known for producing quality Yamada Nishiki sake rice. It is located in the scenic Yoshinogawa valley. The locals call it “Shikoku no Nada” (四国の灘)— the Nada of Shikoku. Awa-shi is home to the well-known brewery Housui (芳水酒造).