Riso Nanatsuboshi, Shinmei - Hokkaido, 5 Kg

Rice is the dietary staple of Japan. Like how many people in Western countries cannot imagine going without bread for very long, the vast majority of Japanese people will eat at least some rice every day. Japanese, or Japonica, rice is grown all over Japan and in other countries, and the accepted wisdom is that the rice will taste different depending on where it is grown. For an incredible range of Japanese rice, take a look at Japan Centre's Rice section.