Nihon Sun » rice straw bales http://www.nihonsun.com Japan's Online Travel & Culture Magazine Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:55:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Decorative and Functional Rice Bales http://www.nihonsun.com/2009/02/17/decorative-and-functional-rice-bales/ http://www.nihonsun.com/2009/02/17/decorative-and-functional-rice-bales/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:00:04 +0000 Shane Sakata http://www.nihonsun.com/?p=1192 Rustic bales of rice straw can be often be spotted stacked at the entrance to traditional Japanese buildings, restaurants and bars but did you know that is has other uses as well?

Rice Bales

Traditional uses for rice straw in Japan include the making of rope, floor mats, and sandals called waraji.   However, today the world produces much more rice straw than is currently utilized and there is increasing interest in the economic and environmental benefits of its use.

Practical uses for rice straw include:

  • Straw bale buildings like this Modesto, California home or insulation made with rice straw .
  • Use in community perimeter walls and highway sound walls
  • Animal bedding & feed
  • Soil regeneration via composted rice straw
  • Erosion prevention with straw bales
  • Creation of newsprint, specialty paper & consumer product packaging
  • Ethanol and power generation

Learn about more uses for rice straw and find delicious rice recipes at the California Rice Commission website.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

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