{
  "id": 10084108,
  "title": "As temperatures rise, Japan’s sake rice is feeling the heat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/as-temperatures-rise-japans-sake-rice-is-feeling-the-heat",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T23:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/09/27/food-drink/sake-rice-heat-climate-change-hs85-yamada-nishiki/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yamada Nishiki, or \"the king of sake rice,\" accounts for nearly 40% of Japan's sake rice production. However, due to climate change, brewers across the nation, including in Hyogo Prefecture - the birthplace of Yamada Nishiki - are questioning the future of this revered cultivar. Along with other popular varieties, the rice is suffering under the heat. Yoichiro Yamana, a 12th-generation owner of the three-century-old Yamana Shuzo in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, explains via email that \"the biggest challenge is that the rice quality has changed.\" Compared to the past, the rice is now more prone to dissolving, altering the flavor of the sake. Despite the challenges, Yamana remains committed to preserving the tradition, stating that \"we must adapt to the changing climate to continue producing this beloved rice.\"",
  "summary": "Scorching summers are changing the way sake rice performs in the brewery. Are new heat-resistant breeds the answer?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}