We want to enjoy delicious white rice! We tried using an "ohitsu," something we'd been curious about for a long time.

What we really want to eat alongside delicious side dishes made with time and care is, of course, white rice.

Wanting to keep delicious rice tasting delicious, we tried using Yamaichi's "ohitsu" (traditional wooden rice container), something we'd been curious about for a long time. Does it really keep the rice from getting soggy? Does it really make the rice taste better? We'll answer these questions and more.

No stickiness even after cooling. Keeping rice delicious.

Rice fresh from a rice cooker or clay pot is of course delicious right away, but even if you just leave it as is for a little while, the moisture can't be regulated and it turns soggy. Even when cooked in a clay pot, as time passes the rice stuck to the bottom becomes harder to scrape off, so you'd rather not leave it sitting in the pot for long.

This is where an ohitsu comes in handy. In the old days, rice was cooked over a kamado (traditional stove), so an ohitsu was needed to bring the rice to the table. Nowadays, using an ohitsu might feel like you've stepped into a ryokan, but it used to be an ordinary sight in every household.

As for why rice transferred to an ohitsu tastes so good, ohitsu are typically made from wood such as sugi (Japanese cedar) or sawara (Japanese cypress). Since wood breathes, it regulates the moisture released as steam from freshly cooked rice, letting excess moisture escape. Have you ever noticed that when you leave a rice cooker on the keep-warm setting and then open the lid after a while, the underside of the lid is covered in water droplets, sometimes even dripping down? The wood absorbs that excess moisture instead.

Now that we understand the explanation, let's actually try using Yamaichi's Edobitsu.

Yamaichi's "Edobitsu 15C (with rice paddle)" holds about 2 go (approximately 360ml x 2) of cooked rice. The ohitsu body itself is smaller than expected. The lid is a slightly larger size, with a bit of extra room compared to the diameter of the container.

When I couldn't help but take a sniff, I caught the pleasant scent of sawara wood. If you're a fan of using a wappa bento box, you can probably imagine the feeling—it's the kind of scent that makes you want to put rice in it and try it out right away.

What to Do Before Actually Using It

Holding back my eagerness, I followed the instructions for preparing the ohitsu before first use.

1. Fill the ohitsu with rice-rinsing water.

(If the first rinse doesn't fill the container, add the water from a second or third rinse.)

2. Once the container is full of rinsing water, let it sit for about 3 hours. Water may leak out during this time, so place it in the kitchen sink or somewhere similar.

3. Rinse with water and let it dry thoroughly in the shade.

This step is apparently done to remove any harshness (aku) or excess scent if the wood's aroma is too strong. My ohitsu didn't have an overly strong scent—it wasn't noticeable at all once the rice was inside—but if you find the scent too strong, try repeating this process a few times.

A Table with an Ohitsu

At last, it was time to try using Yamaichi's Edobitsu. I transferred rice cooked in a pot into the ohitsu and brought it straight to the table. It made for such a picturesque scene that it filled me with a sense of joy.

First Bowl

This was freshly cooked rice, just a few minutes out of the pot. Even after only a few minutes in the ohitsu, the scent of hinoki (Japanese cypress) came through when eating. Since it was freshly cooked, the texture and flavor were, of course, just as usual.

Second Bowl

This was rice that had been in the ohitsu for about 15 minutes. It wasn't piping hot, but it still retained a gentle warmth. Normally, by the time you go for a second helping, water droplets have already formed inside the pot and started falling onto the rice, causing it to turn sticky. But the rice in the ohitsu showed none of that—each grain remained distinct and firm. And somehow, it seemed even sweeter with each bite compared to the freshly cooked rice.

After 3 Hours

In many households, the father comes home after the rest of the family has already finished dinner and eats on his own, so I also tried the rice after it had been in the ohitsu for 3 hours.

The rice had cooled down, but it wasn't sticky at all—the grains didn't clump together and each one stood apart. Yet it wasn't hard either; it had a chewy, mochi-like texture different from when it was freshly cooked. It was so delicious that I wanted to eat it just like that, without reheating.

Even an Ohitsu Has Its Weaknesses: Things to Keep in Mind and Care Tips

I could really feel how the ohitsu kept the rice's chewy texture and preserved its deliciousness, but it does have a few drawbacks. It's a good idea to understand these fully before deciding whether to start an ohitsu lifestyle.

1. Can Only Be Stored at Room Temperature

A wooden ohitsu cannot be placed in the refrigerator. Sudden temperature changes can cause the wood to shrink, which may loosen the metal hoops (taga) holding it together.

Since it can only be stored at room temperature, this means that, for hygiene reasons, it's only suitable for short-term storage. Originally, an ohitsu wasn't meant for long-term storage—it was designed to preserve the flavor of rice for the time between when it finishes cooking and when it's eaten.

It depends on the temperature, humidity, and other conditions of where you store it, so it's hard to say definitively "it's fine for this many hours." But I do think it's risky to leave rice cooked in the morning sitting out until evening during the summer months.

For example, an ohitsu (wooden rice tub) comes in handy when family members eat meals at different times, or when you want to eat leftover rice from dinner the next morning for breakfast.

2. Black discoloration may occur

It seems that the black discoloration that appears on the surface as you use an ohitsu is unavoidable. There are several possible causes:

・Caused by mineral deposits from water

・Caused by a reaction between the starch in the rice and the tannin in the wood

・Mold

To minimize discoloration, shorten the time it stays wet and dry it thoroughly.

・Dry it properly

This is important for preventing mold from forming. After washing, don't just place it in a dish drainer—wipe it dry right away. Then, be sure to let it dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated, shaded spot. Rice grains and water tend to remain in the seams at the bottom, so wash carefully with that in mind.

・Don't let it soak—wash it right after use

Even if rice is stuck to the ohitsu, avoid letting it soak in water. Since it's made of wood, water can cause cracking or lead to mold.

・Don't use it every day

When it comes to "drying it properly," it's apparently best to alternate between two ohitsu rather than using one every day. However, owning two ohitsu isn't very realistic, so using it about once every two days should be a good pace.

【Tools for enjoying delicious rice, beyond just the ohitsu.】

When it comes to enjoying delicious rice, there are many tools related to rice beyond just the ohitsu.

A komebitsu (rice storage container) for storing rice

The deliciousness of rice starts to change from the storage stage, even before cooking. Azumaya's komebitsu is finished without using any nails or metal fittings at all, and the precision of the sliding door on top is astonishing. The kiri (paulownia wood) used contains compounds such as tannin, sesamin, and paulownin, which give it strong antibacterial and insect-repelling properties, protecting your precious rice from insects, mold, and moisture.

Click here for the Azumaya komebitsu page ＞＞

For cooking rice fluffy and glossy

Cooking rice in a rice cooker is fine, of course, but rice cooked in a donabe (earthenware pot) or iron pot is truly special.

TOJIKITONYA's "Iga Assuki Gohan Nabe" is a special donabe designed specifically for cooking rice. Made of heat-resistant ceramic, this rice pot efficiently heats ingredients using far-infrared rays, and because convection occurs easily inside the pot, the rice cooks evenly and deliciously. It's also recommended for those who want to try cooking rice in a donabe but feel intimidated by things like managing the heat level.

TOJIKITONYA　Click here for the Iga Assuki Gohan Nabe page ＞＞

Chawan (rice bowls) for serving rice

The custom of each family member having their own designated bowl for white rice seems like a uniquely Japanese culture, but a chawan is indeed an important piece of tableware for enjoying Japanese food. Since it's used almost every day, it's nice to have a few on hand with different materials, sizes, and patterns to switch between depending on your mood.

Rokuro-sha Meshiwan (rice bowl)

While most rice bowls are made of ceramic, an urushi (Japanese lacquer) rice bowl offers a wonderfully different atmosphere. The BASE01 Meshiwan by Rokuro-sha has a sharp shape that rises crisply from a tall foot, giving it a dignified beauty along with being easy to hold and stable. Rather than the traditional finish using black or red urushi, it's finished with "fuki-urushi," a technique that lets you enjoy the beauty of the wood grain.

Click here for the Rokuro-sha BASE01 Meshiwan page ＞＞

Shiroao Kurawanka Wan chawan (rice bowl)

Next up is this porcelain chawan, featuring a distinctive white and navy design. Shiroao is a brand that upholds the tradition of Tobe-yaki while proposing a new standard, with navy blue patterns standing out beautifully against a white base. The Kurawanka Wan chawan comes in three sizes—for husband, wife, and child—making it a great choice for households where parents share the same bowl style but the kids use something different. Since the shapes are the same even though the patterns differ, it brings a sense of unity to the dining table. 

Click here for the Shiroao Kurawanka Wan chawan page ＞＞

▼Click here for the Yamaichi Edobitsu 15C (with rice paddle) page