The Japanese as a nation have always used fresh, simple ingredients to form their daily diet, realising the benefits in health from natural food products and shying away from artificial flavourings. The people of Japan see food as an integral part to their well-being.

In 300 BC the cultivation of rice was introduced by the settlers from the Korean Peninsula who established paddy fields and an agricultural system in the fertile plains of Japan.  It is the short-grain rice which is grown in Japan but not just as a food source – it is also used to make a variety of other products such as paper, fuel and wine. [Read more...]