From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
In Japanese, rice that has been cooked is called gohan. A meal is also called gohan.
The Ministry of Agriculture explains that people in Japan have taken great care of rice since long ago, and so a meal came to be called gohan too.
The kanji for rice, 米, is said to be made from the characters for “eighty-eight” (八十八). It means that it takes as many as 88 steps of work to grow rice. Today machines make rice farming faster and easier than in the past.
Rice contains a lot of starch, which the body uses to make energy.
Brown rice, before it is polished, has more dietary fiber and vitamins than white rice. It is a little harder than usual rice, so it is good to chew it well.
Cooked rice is eaten as it is, and also used in dishes such as sushi.
Rice is also made into snacks such as senbei (rice crackers) and dango (rice dumplings), and into vinegar and Japanese sake.
Many other countries grow rice too, and have their own rice dishes, such as bibimbap in Korea and paella in Spain.
Many places in Japan have their own traditional rice dishes. The Ministry suggests asking the adults around you about the ones where you live.
On December 12, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the rice harvest of 2025.
The area planted with rice for eating as a staple food was 1,367,000 hectares, 108,000 hectares more than the year before.
The yield per 10 ares was expected to be 526 kg, 7 kg more than the year before.
Multiplying the two, the harvest of rice for eating as a staple food was expected to be 7,181,000 tonnes, 662,000 tonnes more than the year before. These numbers are based on the sieve sizes that farmers use to sort their rice.
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.