A new rice cultivar suitable for direct seeding cultivation, "Chihominori", was developed from a cross between "Ouu382" and "Aokei157". The cross was carried out in 2005 and resulted in a promising line named "Ouu416" that was distributed for performance tests in 2012. The superiority of "Ouu416" was confirmed in these tests, and the line was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2014 for official registration as "Chihominori". "Chihominori" belongs to an early maturation group in the Tohoku region. Its heading date is 3 days earlier than that of "Akitakomachi" and its ripening date is 2 days earlier than that of "Akitakomachi". "Chihominori" has a short culm length and average to above-average panicle numbers, and is classified as a semi-panicle-number type plant. Its grain yield is higher than that of "Akitakomachi". Its resistance to lodging is strong. Its resistance gene to blast is "Pia, Pii", and its levels of field resistance to blast on leaves and panicles are strong and medium to strong, respectively. Its cold tolerance is medium. It has weak-to-medium resistance to bacterial leaf blight and is susceptible to rice stripe virus. Its preharvest sprouting resistance is weak to medium. Its eating quality and the taste of its cooked rice are excellent, with performance equal to that of "Akitakomachi". The amylose content in "Chihominori" endosperm is the same as that of "Akitakomachi". The protein content in "Chihominori" grains is the same as that of "Akitakomachi". "Chihominori" is high yielding and adaptable to direct seeding. It is expected that "Chihominori" can contribute to low-cost production of rice in Japan.