A quantitative trait locus (QTL) for cold tolerance at the booting stage of a cold-tolerant rice breeding line, Hokkai-PL9, was analyzed. A total of 487 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers distributed throughout the genome were used to survey for polymorphism between Hokkai-PL9 and a cold-sensitive breeding line, Hokkai287, and 54 markers were polymorphic. Single marker analysis revealed that markers on chromosome 8 are associated with cold tolerance. By interval mapping using an F(2) population between Hokkai-PL9 and Hokkai287, a QTL for cold tolerance was detected on the short arm of chromosome 8. The QTL explains 26.6% of the phenotypic variance, and its additive effect is 11.4%. Substitution mapping suggested that the QTL is located in a 193-kb interval between SSR markers RM5647 and PLA61. We tentatively designated the QTL as qCTB8 (quantitative trait locus for cold tolerance at the booting stage on chromosome 8).