Miyamanishiki is named after the Japanese Alps, and is considered to be a beautiful rice. It was developed in 1978 in Nagano to thrive in the challenging local conditions, being the prefecture with the highest elevation in Japan. It has a large, well-defined “shimpaku” (starchy white core) and grows very well in the cold, paving the way for offshoot strains to be developed to capture these ideal qualities. It’s considered to have a good balance with a light, refreshing flavor.