Japanese Rice Harvest
Rice production is important to the food supply with rice being a staple part of the japanese diet.
Japanese rice harvest. Japanese people can be fanatical when it comes to rice and the new harvest is eagerly anticipated every year. In central japan it is from april may to august october. Japanese continue the tradition of rice harvest season by creating gigantic straw sculptures. Japan is the ninth largest producer of rice in the world.
After making it to the rice paddy with an inside japan post we split into two small groups. The rice is thus shared in spirit with their ancestors. Autumn is a rice harvest season in japan. Every year farmers make sure that the leftover rice straw known as wara does not go to waste.
The japanese style of rice growing adjusts its repertoire of operations according to the flux of the seasons. One of us nearly fell right in to much hilarity from everyone. When it comes to rice you can divide people into two camps in japan. There are dances and a procession and a huge feast.
In the edo period rice yields were a measure of a lord s wealth and when asked about income they would usually say the amount of rice receive each year. Still traditional rice harvesting in japan is a significant part of japanese culture. Rice planting is always done in spring early summer and harvesting inekari in fall. In fact the regular japanese rice is commonly cooked plain for everyday meals whether it is for japanese curry donburi rice bowls or to make onigiri rice balls.
The main events of. 26 2005 file photo provided by the imperial household agency of japan japanese emperor akihito uses a sickle to reap rice grown at a paddy field in the compound of the imperial. In japan the harvest festival is the rice harvest. Koshogatsu means literally small new year and starts with the first full moon of the year usually around january 15th.
It is only when you are using the rice for sushi you will then sushi rice or sumeshi by seasoning the cooked japanese rice with vinegar salt and sugar. Traditional japanese rice harvest. Rice planting happens in the spring cultivation in the summer and harvest in the fall. From feeding the cattle to improving the soil the straw finds its purpose.
The rice seasons in northern japan last from may june to september october. Party in the rice fields. None of the rice is to be eaten until a special event has happened. The farmers showed us how to harvest the rice and we took it in turns to get stuck into the mud.
