Rice, Rice, Baby...

Many things confuse and baffle foreign visitors to Japan, that much is true. After reading an umpteenth travel blog post about “wow, it’s a washlet and I got sprayed” or “holy crap, it’s a squat toilet, in the middle of freakin’ Tokyo” alternating with “look at all the vending machines in this country!” and “meido cafés, those chicks are sooo cute” you may be excused if you think that Japan is visited mostly (only?) by idiots on their very first trip abroad.

But recently, it was my turn to be baffled when a brave tourist, who ventured outside of the capital city (read: got lost in the countryside) asked this: “And what are those oversized phone booth thingies?”

Come again?

“Well, from the outside they look like miniature laundromats or oversized phone booths, but there are no phones inside. And no washing machines. Only some control panels and strange contraptions.”

And then he added, “And I haven’t seen them in Tokyo, but here (meaning - in the countryside) they are everywhere.”

And then he added, “And it seems people dump some bags in there and it obviously serves a purpose, but not sure how or what…”

Very observant, indeed!

People do dumb bags – of rice – into the contraptions in those “phone booths” and what the machinery does is simply polish the rice.

“What? You need to polish your own rice?” I heard him ask.

Well, yes… You see, not everyone buys their rice at the supermarket. We don’t. We get our rice directly from the farmer. Such rice comes unpolished and yellow in color. And I’m sure that some health nuts would eat it like that just fine. But I (and most of this country) prefer my rice fresh, white and shiny.

And that’s where the machine comes in. You dump your yellow rice in at one end, put some money in, press some buttons, and voila, shiny white grains come out on the end.

yellow rice in

We normally polish only a bucket at a time to keep our rice fresh and yummy. The whole procedure is very quick – it takes only a few minutes, and my only disappointment is that colorful lights don’t light up during the process and cute arcade music doesn’t play while the machine is running.

white rice out

And you’d think that where as where, but in Japan the companies would think of such obvious technical improvements.

PS. There are other rice-related machines, but I'm going to spare you the full-blown rice farmer story right now, OK?

Comments

[expateek]

This is SOOOOOO cool. I want one of these machines!

[faisal shehzad]

japan is way ahead of the other nations in terms of technology. its like they are from other planet.

[Edward]

My sensei has one of the home versions of rice polisher, but she usually eats it unpolished.

Most of us (both American and Japanese) would consider the yellow (what we call brown) rice to be healthier. Use the polished stuff to make congee for sick people.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Edward!
Actually, what we call "brown" rice is that yellow rice that is half-polished with extra coloring added to make it more visually appealing. Some "brown" rice is actually re-branned white rice and more processed than simple white rice, but most health-food freaks just don't realize it and go by color.
So, if you're such a fan of brown rice, how do you like it in your sushi? Does your sensei make sushi with brown rice too? ;)

[DC]

A technologically advanced way to get malnutrition, namely
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriberi , which is a thiamine (B1) deficiency caused by polishing rice, thus removing the bran, which an important source of not only vitamins such as thiamine (B1), but also fiber and antioxidants.

Whole grain rice is healthiest, period. That means that the rice has the bran still intact on it. White rice has the bran removed. Even though high tech is great, people don't always use it in the smartest way. An analogous process in other countries would be the use of white instead of 100% wheat flour. The white product is preferred a lot of times, but it can cause problems, especially if not enriched.

[Witold]

Well... It's really original thing :)

[Anna Ikeda]

Oh yeah, another health food nut, and this one can even quote wikipedia. Wow! Am I supposed to be impressed? Ok, go now and eat your brown rice sushi and fight beri beri in the world. Hop along now and bye bye!

PS. It always amazes me when people think that if someone prefers white rice and (white flour), because, yes, it does taste better than the brown stuff, that someone must be on the verge of dying from a multitude of diseases because of his/her unhealthy diet. Are people really THAT stupid?

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi faisal,
trust me, this is still the same planet. As soon as you enter any government office and are presented with tons of paper to fill out and in triplicate (frequently for stuff that in other countries has been done electronically for years) you realize that when it comes to many things Japan can be so behind the rest of the world. But hey, this country is VERY attached to its traditions, right? And why is suddenly Fiddler on the Roof playing in my head? No clue...

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Expateek!
You know, some people actually have home-versions. You want one? ;)

[jon]

Whereabout are these machines? I live in Tohoku, and I've been all around its countryside without ever seeing one.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Jon!
I know there are plenty of them in Miyagi, look in smallish towns in parking lots next to konbinis, drugstores or supermarkets, etc. An inconspicuous-looking booth there is probably a rice machine.
In Tochigi there are everywhere. The one we went to (theres a whole cluster of them) is right next to a Softbank and a supermarket on the outskirts of Utsunomiya.

[jon]

Wow, I just read this comment

"PS. It always amazes me when people think that if someone prefers white rice and (white flour), because, yes, it does taste better than the brown stuff, that someone must be on the verge of dying from a multitude of diseases because of his/her unhealthy diet. Are people really THAT stupid?"

And I'm a bit shocked and sad. Kindness is a better road. Especially when you are right.

As an aside, you've also made a straw man argument and then used that to called him/her stupid (albeit indirectly).

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Jon!
Im sorry if youre shocked and sad, but believe me, I was shocked and saddened by all the angry emails I received from health-food nuts about this totally harmless blog post. Hence my response. Some people dont get kindness, unfortunately. Im sorry!

[my name is required]

Doesn't anyone read the disclaimer in the top left portion of the page? That aside, I would like to second the motion for cheesey arcade music during the waiting period.

[Internet User]

You're right: people who travel to places with washlets, squat toilets and meido cafes are idiots for mentioning them in their travel blog as if they were interesting things they had never before encountered. Pretension makes you look smart. That's science.

[Anna Ikeda]

And your utter lack of sense of humor makes you look dour. That's not science, that's a fact. Also, how brave of you to leave your comment anonymously - yay! Congrats for having balls! I'm duly impressed.

[Internet User]

Ah, I must have simply missed the humor in your post because there was none. It was just you snidely jabbing at schlubs who don't understand the finer points of foreign shitters. And, of course, the uncouth swine who had never seen a rice polishing machine. "Very observant, indeed!"

Also, was I supposed to use my real name or something? What's the point of that? Are you going to call me? Are we gonna hang out? If not then I'd be no less anonymous to you than I was as Internet User. Let me know though, I'll send you my name AND phone number. Then we can go out, grab some coffee, maybe heckle a foreigner who's never seen an espresso machine before. It'll be fun.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Internet User,
Thank you for so eloquently proving my point. Case closed.
If this blog bothers you so much, may I suggest you select something to read which is more to your taste.
Once again thank you for your comments.

[Internet User]

Sooo....you're saying you don't want to go out?

[Yoshika Iwamoto]

Hi Anna!
You got a bad attitude girl. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Dr. Martin Luther King said it best when he said "I have a dream that brown rice and white rice can live together in one sushi roll"
Lay off the wasabi, bitch!

[Anna Ikeda]

Yoshika!
Absolutely, Dr. Martin Luther King was right! Because no matter if it's brown or white, it will go down the same washlet (or squat toilet) anyway.
And no cursing on the blog, please - bad language might tick off my remaining 5 readers and I don't want that to happen.
PS. bad attitude is OK, though.

[tudza]

I thought this might be for sake making hobbyist or something since you have to polish the rice for that, usually, although they do make some sake with brown rice.

[Alexa]

Anna,

I have to second what Yoshika and "Internet User" said. I kind of enjoyed the post (brought to me by Stumble) despite the snide/pretentious asides. Once I read your replies to comments I suddenly understood why you had the "Read this first" on the side. I can imagine many people have complained about what a humorless bitch you are.

You called someone stupid for saying brown rice is healthier and providing a link where one might explore this.

You apparently have lots of money and time to fully explore foreign countries--congratulations. You deserve an award or at least your smug sense that you are better than the rest of us "idiots" who have never seen a squat toilet.

Anyway, maybe don't bother with one of your juvenile replies as I'll probably never remember to check back here. I was just annoyed by your attitude to such an extent that I felt the need to leave a comment.

Oh, and look, I left my first name! Now you can look me up and we can duke it out in the streets.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Alexa,
Thank you so much for your comment. Have you read the disclaimer titled Read This First? Its on the top in the left sidebar.
Happy New Year to you and your family!

[Everyonebutsix]

Dear Anna,
This is a nice comment, to represent those who think you are freakin' hilarious and entitled to your opinion on, well pretty much everything, since this is your personal blog.

Tell me when your birthday is, because I have this really great gift idea. There's a guy at my local market who'll etch your name on a single grain of rice and put it in a little vial to wear around your neck. The rice is polished, so you might get colon cancer from wearing it, but I think it'll suit you :-)

[Anna Ikeda]

Dear Everyonebutsix,
Thank you for your nice comment. My birthday is July 17th and yes, I would be very happy to wear a grain etched with my name around my neck, even if it might give me colon cancer.

Happy New Year to you!

[Halo666]

It astounds me that something as simple as a rice polisher can bring on such emotionally charged "discussion". It's no wonder war is so prevalent in todays society. If we cannot voice our opinions about the importance or lack thereof in bran, or simply ignore someones brand of humor if we find it to be tasteless; how will we ever discuss issues such as religion or human rights without it coming to violence. We are all different with different ideals and opinions. If we don't learn to hear them all with a non judgmental ear, and react to them in a tactful manner, we will never be free from the wars that plague our world.

P.S.
Everyonebutsix...my birthday is in July...I wouldn't mind one of those itty bitty etchings...I get lots of fiber from many other sources such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals, so I'm pretty sure my colon can handle the lack of bran on my rice. ;P

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Halo!
And can you just imagine what would be going on in here if I decided to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? I shudder at the thought!

Happy New Year to you!

[isby]

that's so tite! I love learning new thing about other cultures...i might sound ignorant but i had no idea rice was yellow...

[Holly M]

I lived in Japan for 2 and a half months and to see how they package foods and live makes so much sense! It's all so fun, too.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Holly!
Actually, I am not so fond of how they package foods (and a lot of other things too) - too much totally unnecessary plastic, paper and general waste. It does look pretty and it is convenient, but at what cost to the environment? Hmmm... I might have to write something about it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Darren Cronian]

I love Anna. Reading these comments made me laugh. Lighten up people!

[Anna Ikeda]

Thank you Darren! Fortunately, reading these comments makes me laugh too. But hey, I should not complain, this stuff brings in some crazy, serious traffic. LOL!

[S.]

Oh wow. I'm a little unnerved by the amount of hate one little comment on how a person prefers rice can incite.

The whole "Japan begins and ends with Tokyo" mindset does get ever so tiring. I'm with Anna on this one. There's a lot more here than squatty potties, bright lights and schoolgirls.

I never knew what those little booths were. I live in a little town with a LOT of rice paddies so I might have to look into using one.

[cactus_juice]

Very clever you Japanese.But what about cleaning
yellow snow?Awful to see.But nice to make.

[Anna Ikeda]

Hi Cactus!
Knowing the Japanese, they will come up with something. LOL!

[freedomwv]

This is something new. Interesting way to get nice white rice. I guess us people living in the capital city miss out on such a unique way to polish our rice.
Cool post!

[Craig, Seattle WA]

Very cool, I had gone to Japan back when I was 16 and have wanted to go back ever since. I did go into the "country" if Nara counts. Loved it and have been traveling around the world since. I had never seen these.. or at least I don't remember seeing them and this was actually quite fun to read. Good job

[F]

The only thing I disagree with is that white rice tastes better than brown rice. Black rice is the UTTER BEST though. I don't eat much sushi though. Each one has it's place :) But I'm sure white short grain sushi rice is best for any form of sushi :) I didn't know rice was polished even, so thanks for that. I didn't know there was fake brown rice (cept for that "instant" brown rice).

[Holly]

Wow what a brat.