For details, see Tanaka Keiichi et al., Niigata-ken no rekishi, 2nd ed. (Tokyo: Yamakawa Shuppansha Ltd., 2009), 166-67. 13 Koshihikari originally was developed at an agricultural experiment station in Niigata Prefecture during wartime in 1944, when quantity generally was prioritized over taste, and its breeding business subsequently was suspended.
After the launch of the Koshihikari brand, the Agricultural Cooperative Association of Niigata Prefecture spared no marketing efforts to enhance its brand value ahead of the competitors. For details, see Sakai Yoshiaki, Koshihikari monogatari: nippon-ichi umai kome no tanjō (Tokyo: Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., 1997).