We examined the effect of warm water treatment (WWT) on the texture and flavor of cooked rice with the aim of improving the quality of aged or imported rice. By test cooking with small samples, WWT at 50-65°C for 2h increased the stickiness of cooked rice after 1 year of hermetic storage at ambient temperature. The palatability of conventional cooked rice increased to the same level as freshly harvested rice by WWT at 55°C for 24h. WWT at 40°C for 2h or 8h also improved the palatability after 1 year of non-hermetic storage at ambient temperature. One-fifth and 1.6ppm hexanal, the main component of the stale flavor, were detected in cooked rice from 3-year-aged domestic and imported rice, respectively. WWT reduced the hexanal level in both types of rice by half. WWT appears useful for improving the texture and flavor of aged rice.