Pulai Rice: How a Single Grain Rewrote Taiwan's Century of Agriculture and Dining Landscapes

30-Second Overview: The 1918 Rice Riots in Japan prompted the colonial government to promote rice improvement in Taiwan. Through more than a decade of effort by agronomists Iso Eikxi (磯永吉) and Suenaga Hitoshi (末永仁), "Pulai rice" was successfully bred to adapt to Taiwan's environment, specifically the high-yield, high-quality, and disease-resistant "Taichung 65." This not only met Japan's food demands but also completely transformed Taiwan's agricultural production patterns and culinary culture, becoming a vital cornerstone of Taiwan's century of development. Even today, the mainstream rice varieties on Taiwan's dining tables almost all carry the lineage of "Taichung 65," witnessing the profound impact of this single grain on Taiwanese society.

In August 1918, the "Rice Riots" broke out in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, shocking the entire nation¹. At the time, women from fishing villages took to the streets to petition due to skyrocketing rice prices and the inability to cook meals; these protests rapidly spread nationwide, ultimately leading to the resignation of the cabinet. This social movement not only highlighted the severe food crisis within Japan but also prompted the Japanese government to look toward its colony, Taiwan, hoping to resolve the Empire's food problems through increased rice production in Taiwan¹. However, the "local varieties" (zailaimi, non-glutinous rice) commonly grown in Taiwan at the time had a loose texture and low sweetness, differing greatly from the "japonica" (round-grain) rice preferred by the Japanese, making it difficult for Taiwanese rice to directly satisfy the demands of the Japanese market².

📝 Curator's Note: A social movement from afar was able to drive a revolution in the rice on Taiwan's dining tables; historical connections are often unexpected. This also reminds us that seemingly simple food issues often involve complex political and social structures.

To resolve this dilemma, in 1912, a young agronomist named Iso Eikichi, who had just graduated from the College of Agriculture at Tokyo Imperial University, arrived in Taiwan to shoulder the heavy responsibility of rice improvement². Prior to his arrival, the Governor-General's Office of Taiwan had introduced 145 varieties of Japanese "mainland varieties" for trial planting, but these repeatedly failed due to their inability to adapt to Taiwan's climate and environment². Using his academic background, Iso Eikichi systematically classified Taiwan's rice varieties and established that the "introduction of mainland varieties" was the correct direction for Taiwan's rice improvement².

The Long Breeding Path from "Local Varieties" to "Mainland Varieties"

Iso Eikichi's arrival injected new hope into Taiwan's rice improvement. He discovered that Japanese varieties had low heading rates in Taiwan, primarily because Taiwan's high temperature and humidity led to short flowering periods and low pollination rates³. Initially, his experiments in Taipei also met with frequent failures, but he did not give up. In 1914, based on Mendelian genetics, Iso Eikichi proposed the "pure line separation" method to screen for superior lines of Taiwanese rice³. Simultaneously, he turned his attention toward another key figure—Suenaga Hitoshi.

Suenaga Hitoshi, a son of a farming family from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, had arrived at the Chiayi Farm in Taiwan as early as 1910 to engage in rice improvement work⁴. He arrived in Taiwan earlier than Iso Eikichi and earned Iso's respect through his diligence and professionalism in the fields. In 1914, Suenaga was transferred to the Taichung Prefecture Experimental Farm, where he was responsible for hybrid breeding of rice seeds and the practical cultivation of Japanese rice. Every morning, he immersed himself in the fields, observing seedling growth; even when facing bottlenecks, he discussed strategies with Iso Eikichi. The two worked as "partners" (toushu-chi), laying a solid foundation for the improvement of Taiwan's rice cultivation⁴.

📝 Curator's Note: Breakthroughs in scientific research often rely not just on wisdom in the laboratory, but more on sweat and persistence in the paddy fields. The collaboration between Iso Eikichi and Suenaga Hitoshi is a perfect paradigm of the union between theory and practice.

In 1921, the Agricultural Director of the Taipei Administration, Matsuzawa Kameichirō, discovered well-growing Japanese "Nakamura variety" rice in Zhuzi Lake, Yangmingshan³. The cool, humid environment and fertile soil of Zhuzi Lake were similar to the climate of Kyushu, Japan, providing excellent conditions for the growth of Japanese rice. This discovery became a major turning_point in rice improvement³. Suenaga Hitoshi subsequently proposed the epoch-making "seedling transplanting method," which changed the plant's growth cycle by shortening the seedling period. This successfully solved the problem of Japanese rice heading too early due to the climate, allowing "Nakamura variety" rice to move from the mountain terraces to the plains². Subsequently, the promotion of the Nakamura variety in Taiwan expanded gradually, laying the foundation for the later Pulai rice.

The Birth of Pulai Rice and the Miracle of "Taichung 65"

1926 was a year of profound significance for Iso Eikichi and Suenaga Hitoshi. At the "Great Japan Rice Convention" convened by the then-Governor-General of Taiwan, Izawa Toshio, at the Taipei Railway Hotel, the successfully improved "Nakamura variety" was officially named "Pulai rice"². This name not only symbolized a new milestone for Taiwan's agriculture but also expressed expectations for the abundant produce of this "Island of Immortals" (Pulai)². However, challenges followed the naming. In July of the same year, Pulai rice was hit by rice blast disease, resulting in a poor harvest and putting immense pressure on promotion efforts³.

In 1927, the "Showa Depression" swept the globe; rice prices plummeted, and farmers' willingness to plant Pulai rice dropped sharply². At this time, Li Peng-yi, a rice merchant from Huatan, Changhua, stepped forward. He promised to purchase all Pulai rice planted by farmers, regardless of whether the harvest was good or bad. Despite his rice mill sitting empty for nearly three years due to natural disasters such as rice blast, drought, and typhments, Li Peng-yi kept his promise and continued to support the farmers³.

📝 Curator's Note: Under the dual trials of science and economics, a rice merchant's trust and persistence became a key force in driving agricultural reform. Li Peng-yi's foresight and responsibility paved the way for the widespread adoption of Pulai rice.

Through the unremitting efforts of Iso Eikichi and Suenaga Hitoshi, they hybridized the insect-resistant variety "Kameji" with the high-yield variety "Shinriki," successfully breeding the epoch-making "Taichung 65" in 1929⁴. This new variety possessed excellent characteristics such as high yield, superior quality, resistance to rice blast, strong adaptability, and insensitivity to light duration, making it suitable for both the first and second cropping seasons in Taiwan⁴. In the same year, under favorable weather conditions, Li Peng-yi expanded his purchasing area to 1,500 jia (approx. 150 hectares), leading to a bumper harvest of Pulai rice in areas such as Dajia, Yuanlin, and Beidou, with yields reaching three times that of local varieties³. This success not only allowed Li Peng-yi to recover his previous losses but, more importantly, it completely won the confidence of the farmers. By the following year, 75% of Taiwan's paddy fields had switched to Pulai rice, fundamentally reversing Taiwan's rice cultivation³. By 1936, the "Taichung 65" variety, with even more stable disease resistance and adaptability, had largely replaced the "Nakamura variety," becoming the mainstream variety of Taiwan's Pulai rice and opening a new chapter in Taiwan's rice farming⁵.

The Far-reaching Impact and Unresolved Debates of Pulai Rice

The success of Pulai rice not only met Japan's food needs but also profoundly changed the agricultural landscape of Taiwan. It increased rice yields, improved farmers' livelihoods, and pushed Taiwan's agricultural technology toward modernization. The breeding spirit of Iso Eikichi and Suenaga Hitoshi, along with the commercial foresight of Li Peng-yi, jointly wrote a brilliant page in Taiwan's agricultural history. After the war, Iso Eikichi remained in Taiwan to teach, continuing to dedicate himself to Taiwan's agriculture until he returned to Japan in 1957; he is hailed as the "Father of Pulai Rice" and the "Benefactor of Taiwan's Agriculture"³.

However, the widespread adoption of Pulai rice was accompanied by some controversy. The colonial government promoted increased rice production primarily to satisfy the needs of mainland Japan, rather than fully considering local Taiwanese interests. This meant that Taiwan's agricultural development was, to some extent, constrained by colonial policy, also triggering discussions regarding economic structural issues such as "the conflict between rice and sugar" (mǐ-táng xiāng-kè) ⁶. Under the colonial policy of "Industrial Japan, Agricultural Taiwan," Taiwan's agricultural production was highly planned; the planting area and yield of rice and sugarcane were strictly controlled, limiting farmers' choices. Although Pulai rice brought economic benefits, it also intensified Taiwan's role as a "granary" for Japan, resulting in a dualistic economic structure where local varieties (zailaimi) were mainly used for Taiwanese consumption, while Pulai rice was exported in large quantities to Japan⁷. This dual structure reflects the complexity and contradiction of Taiwan's agricultural development under colonial rule.

Recent research has also discovered that genes from Taiwan's upland drought-resistant rice may have been mixed into the genome of "Taichung 65." This suggests that during the breeding process, in addition to human effort, the natural gene flow played an unexpected role, adding more layers of interpretation to this history⁴⁸. This discovery challenges the traditional view that breeding is entirely due to the precise operations of scientists, revealing a miracle woven from both natural and human factors.

The story of Pulai rice is an epic of science, perseverance, commerce, and social change. It is not just the story of a single grain, but a microcosm of how Taiwan has sought survival and development within a complex historical context over the past century. Even today, the mainstream rice varieties on Taiwan's dining tables, such as Tainong No. 9 and Koshihikari, almost all carry the lineage of "Taichung 65." This grain is not only the cornerstone of Taiwan's food security but also an important legacy of Taiwan's agricultural modernization⁵. As we enjoy the fragrant and chewy Pulai rice, we should also look back at this history of hard labor, grain by grain, and honor those pioneers who dedicated their lives to it; their stories have long been integrated into the land and culture of Taiwan.

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