Steps

1. Prepare 360g of rice.
   🕒 00:34
2. Gently rinse the rice about twice and drain.
   🕒 00:50
3. Drain the rinsed rice thoroughly in a colander, cover with plastic wrap, and let it soak for 30 minutes. [This is the secret!] Soaking in water instead of seasoned broth ensures even moisture penetration into the rice grains, preventing undercooked centers and uneven cooking. Soaking for too long will cause flavor to leach out, making 30 minutes optimal.
   🕒 01:24
4. In a frying pan, combine 200g of water, 2 tbsp of Cooking Sake (Rice Wine), 2 tbsp of Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine), 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce, and 2 tsp of Chicken Bouillon Powder. Mix to create the broth.
   🕒 02:11
5. Tear 2 packs (250g) of Maitake Mushrooms into large pieces by hand and add them to the frying pan with the broth.
   🕒 02:48
6. Cut 2 sheets of Fried Tofu (Aburaage) in half lengthwise, then slice thinly and add to the frying pan.
   🕒 03:28
7. Heat the frying pan over medium-low heat. Bring the broth to a boil while stirring gently. Once boiling, continue to simmer for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. [This is the secret!] By simmering the ingredients first, moisture rich in umami is drawn out from the ingredients. This prevents the rice from absorbing moisture from the ingredients during cooking, thus avoiding uneven cooking.
   🕒 04:05
8. Transfer the soaked rice to the rice cooker bowl.
   🕒 05:06
9. Strain the simmered ingredients and broth into a colander, separating the ingredients from the liquid.
   🕒 05:22
10. Pour the broth into a measuring cup and add water until the total liquid volume reaches the same amount as the rice (360g). [This is the secret!] Precisely measuring the broth and rice water by weight ensures the perfect balance, preventing undercooked centers and creating fluffy rice.
    🕒 05:49
11. Add the adjusted broth to the rice in the rice cooker bowl, then top with the simmered ingredients. Do not mix the ingredients with the rice; simply spread them evenly on top. [This is the secret!] Mixing ingredients with the rice can lead to uneven cooking, so absolutely do not mix them; just place them on top.
    🕒 06:17
12. Cook using the "Quick Cook" or "Rush Mode" on your rice cooker.
    🕒 06:41
13. Once cooked, sprinkle 1-2 pinches of salt evenly over the top. [This is the secret!] Adding salt at the end ensures that it doesn't get lost among the flavors of the ingredients and clearly defines the overall taste of the rice.
    🕒 07:04
14. Gently mix everything, then cover with the lid and let it steam for another 10 minutes.
    🕒 07:19