Hello Larry,

Nuka-zuke are made by pickling vegetables in a paste of rice bran (kome-nuka) and salt. Japan is the only country that pickles vegetables in rice bran; even other rice-eating countries like China or Indonesia have not developed this preservation method. Bran is rich in vitamins B1 and B2 - and so, therefore, are the vegetables pickled in this healthy mixture. The best-known rice bran pickles are takuan-zuke and nuka-zuke (pickles).
http://www.kikkoman.com/contents/forum/008/ff008.html

Tatami matt (rice straw matt)
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2007.html
Glue (Glutens) and starch

http://www.angelfire.com/yt/cack/diy/glue.html (how to make it)

A type of glue (actually a paste) prepared by boiling ground rice in soft water. The resulting adhesive is white in colour and dries to a film that is almost transparent.

More related web sites:

http://japanesefood.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bento.com%2Ftaste%2Ftc-pick.html (a story about experiencing of making nuka-zuke pickles)

Rice and Cultural Identity

Rice Cultivation

Irrigation system
Planting and Harvesting at the same time
Shared labor

Cultural Identity

Shared destiny
Harmony (wa) and good long relationship with neighbors = avoid confrontation
Consensus seeking (Ringi system)
Feeling of dependency (Amae)

Asian Hats & rice production

http://www.asiarice.org/sections/gallery/gallery6-1.html

Rice and language

Gohan = Cooked rice
Gohan = Meals

Asagohan = morning meal = breakfast
Hirugohan = afternoon meal = lunch
Bangohan = evening meal = supper

Mizu ho no kuni = water stalk (or rice) country
Beikoku = rice country = USA

Rice in Greetings, Meanings, and Symbolism
In Bangladesh, China and Thailand, instead of "How are you?" a common greeting is, "Have you eaten your rice today?"
Also in China, at the beginning of the new year, people do not say, "Happy New Year!" but "May your rice never burn!"
In Japan, people did not think in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but rather morning rice (asa gohan), afternoon rice (hiru gohan), and evening rice (ban gohan).
In Taiwan, China, & Japan death is symbolized by chopsticks stuck into a mound of rice.
In Singapore, a good job is an iron rice bowl, and being out of a job, a broken rice bowl.
In Japan, auto titans are even rooted in the rice fields: Toyota means bountiful rice field and Honda means main rice field.
In Lao PDR and Thailand, the phrase for eating rice is synonymous with eating food.

Sources: W.W. Williams, "From Asia’s Good Earth," Hemispheres, December 1996. IRRI, Sustaining Food Security Beyond the Year 2000, Medium-Term Plan 1998-2000, 1997

Rice and Emperor

Emperor = Shaman, priest-king, who celebrated rice harvest in ancient times http://www.american.edu/ted/japrice.htm (trade issues of rice)

Shinto rituals and festivals

http://www.asiarice.org/sections/whatsnew/Japan24.html

November 23rd, Labour Thanksgiving Day
Originally a Shinto celebration, Niinamesai, when the Emperor gave thanks for the year's rice harvest to a Shinto god. Currently a day of thanking laborers for their hard work during the year. On this day the Emperor makes an offering of newly harvested rice to God, and sends messengers that bring this year's first harvest into Ise Jingu shrine, the Japan's main shrine. People generally give thanks for the benefits of labour.

http://www.isejingu.or.jp/english/shinto/shinbody.htm

About Emperor:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2135.html

More related web site:

Shinto (Japanese native religion)

http://www.thelema.net/hml/00Shinto/chap_16.html

Rice as money-substitute

Rice as tax from farmers
Measurement of wealth/ asset of Daimyo (war/feudal lords)
Salary to samurai from Daimyo

http://www.imes.boj.or.jp/cm/english_htmls/feature_gra1-6.htm (Money during Edo period. They are called Oban, koban, etc.)

Rice and Politics

Power of votes to choose politicians

Some places 3.68: 1

Rice sale controlled by the government

Beika = price paid for rice

Rice and feeling toward it

Furusato (hometown)

Place where rice is (or was) grown

Rice Paddle = mother

Rice and Folktales

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow (Shita kiri suzume)

Rolling Rice Ball (Omusubi kororin)

Moon viewing in September

Rabbit pounding rice cake on Moon

Moon viewing rice dumpling (Tsuki mi dango)

http://www.thelema.net/hml/00Shinto/chap9.html ***

Moon cake in China
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa093097.htm

More related web sites:

http://www.samidori.ed.jp/15report/9-11otukimi.htm (photos of students learning about moon viewing in Japan)

Moon Festival in China　http://www.chinavista.com/experience/moon/moon.html

Rice and other associated issues

How to use chopsticks and manner

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2039.html

http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima/Things/85.html ***

Table manner
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2005.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2006.html

(making noise is fine)

Vending machines
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2010.html
Miso soup, pickles, and green tea
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2096.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2041.html
Rice products at American fast food restaurant in Japan

Other references

Rice:It’s more than just a food

http://www.indiana.edu/~japan/digest6.html

A Lesson Plan

http://www.riceromp.com/teachers/lessonContent.cfm?pId=153

Today’s rice tasting at the seminar

Rice and rice products with the followings;

Nori (sea weed sheets)
Furikake (flavored flakes over rice)
Mochi (made from sticky sweet rice) with Kinako (soy bean power) and sugar
Isobe yaki = Mochi with Nori and Shoyu (soy sauce)
Dango (dumplings from rice flour) and azuki (sweet read bean)

Others: Nori (sea vegetables/weeds)
http://www.stashtea.com/sw-faq.htm
http://www.sushiandtofu.com/sushi_and_tofu/food_healthNori6_0308.htm (nori, rice, breakfast)　　Nori seaweed is high in fibre, vitamins, protein and minerals. Nori seaweed provides calcium and iron and contains other important trace minerals. Nori is traditionally eaten to strengthen the circulatory system and help lower cholesterol.
http://www.mountfuji.co.uk/seaweed.htm
http://202.186.86.35/kuali/recipes/sweed.html (Benefit of seaweed)

Japanese National Holidays and annual events
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html

January 1-3 New Year (shogatsu):
This is the most important national holiday in Japan. (Rice: Pounded sweet rice cake)
Second Monday of January Coming of Age (seijin no hi):
The coming of age of 20 year old men and women is celebrated.
February 3 Beginning of spring (setsubun) (not a national holiday)
People enjoy throwing beans at evils called “oni” to invite happiness into home.
February 11 National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi):
According to the earliest Japanese history books, on this day in the year 660 BC the first Japanese emperor was crowned.
February 14 Valentine's Day (not a national holiday)
In Japan, women give chocolates to men on Valentine's Day.
March 3 Doll's (or girls) Festival (hina matsuri) (not a national holiday) Girls will celebrate their well-being by decorating dolls. (Rice: Hishi mochi)
March 14 White Day (not a national holiday)
The opposite of Valentine's Day: Men give cakes or chocolates to women.
March 21 Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi) (not a national holiday)
Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
April 29 Green Day (midori no hi)
Emperor Showa's birthday.
May 3 Constitution Day (kenpo kinenbi)
National holiday remembering the new constitution that was put into effect after the war. The week from April 29 through May 5 are called “Golden Week.”
May 4 "Between Day" (kokumin no kyujitsu)
Recently created national holiday to make the Golden Week a continuous holiday.
May 5 Children's Day (kodomo no hi)
Also called boy's festival. (Rice: Chimaki)
July 7 Star Festival (tanabata) (not a national holiday)
People write wishes on a paper and hang from Bamboo and wish for a legendary couple to have an annual meeting over Milky way in the sky, who were separated by a god.
Third Monday of July Ocean Day (umi no hi)
A recently introduced national holiday to celebrate the ocean. The day marks the return of Emperor Meiji from a boat trip to Hokkaido in 1876.
July/August Obon
Obon is a festival to commemorate the deceased ancestors. Usually around August 13-15. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
Third Monday of September Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi)
Respect for the elderly and longevity is celebrated on this national holiday.
September Moon viewing

Rabbit pounding rice cake on Moon (Rice: rice dumpling, called Tsuki mi dango)

September 23 Autumn Equinox Day (shubun no hi)
Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) of the Equinox Day. The day itself is a national holiday. (Rice: Rice cakes as offerings)
Second Monday of October Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi)
On that day 1964, the Olympic games of Tokyo were opened.
November 3 Culture Day (bunka no hi)
A day for promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On the culture day, schools and the government award certain persons for their special, cultural activities.
November 15 Seven-Five-Three (shichi go san) (not a national holiday)
A festival for children whose age are 7, 5, or 3.
November 23 Labour Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi)
A national holiday for honouring labour. (Emperor’s rice harvest to Ise Shrine as an offering to God)
December 23
Emperor's Birthday (tenno no tanjobi)
The birthday of the current emperor is always a national holiday. If the emperor changes, the national holiday changes to the birthday date of the new emperor.
December 24-25 Christmas (not a national holiday)
Even though they are not Christian, it is celebrated by an increasing number of Japanese.