Japan Gets Ready to Plant Rice During ‘Golden Week’ · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Planting rice in Japan. Much of Japan's rice is produced by small-scale farming, often in suburban neighborhoods. Screencap from YouTube user kazu san.
April marks the start of rice planting season in Japan. Fields are plowed and flooded in preparation for planting new rice seedlings, typically during the extended ‘Golden Week’ holiday in early May.
In the lead up to Golden Week, some Japanese people are posting photos of preparations for ta-ue (田植え), or rice planting.
もう一枚、大山千枚田を。日が昇り、広さ約４㌶の急斜面に田んぼの連なりが一望できた。田は大小３７５枚あり、日本の棚田百選の一つ。田植え前の水が張られた風景は日本の原風景だ。「ホーホケキョ」のウグイスの声が谷間に響く。絶景に魅了された。 pic.twitter.com/Y6dA1v5arK
— 東京新聞写真部 (@tokyoshashinbu) April 21, 2016
Here's another photo of Oyama Senmaida in Chiba [east of Tokyo]. As the sunrises about four hectares of flooded, terraced fields transform into a beautiful tableau. There are about 375 terraced fields, large and small, here, making Oyama Sendai one of Japan's “Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields” (棚田百選). Flooding the fields before planting really makes this a representative scene of Japan. The call of the Japanese nightingale (ウグイス, uguisu) echoes throughout the valley. I am entranced by the scene.
On average a Japanese person will eat 60 kilograms of rice a year. While this amount of consumption is about half of what it was 50 years ago, rice is still an important part of Japan's food culture.
Government subsidies mean many households in regional and rural Japan are able to cultivate rice in relatively small plots, more as a hobby and a family activity than as a business.
Golden Week is a time when many extended families gather to plant rice. The flooded rice paddies of late April and early May signify that spring has truly begun in Japan.
しかし、千葉の田んぼはもう田植えしてるし、海から10km以上離れているのにカモメがいるし、いみわからん…。 pic.twitter.com/vEOqdXQ8dh
— だーしげ@保全日和，です！ (@Hydaticus) April 12, 2016
They're already planting rice in the Chiba. Also, for reason there is a seagull hanging out here even though we're about 10 kilometers from the sea.
The “new green” (新緑, shinryoku) of new leaves combined with the brilliant flooded fields of spring is an irresistible subject for photographers.
広島の県央エリアでも田植えの時期は近い
2016.04.20 2070レ 66 30 pic.twitter.com/JpGeOMSuhm
— ひかりだま (@0keihikaridama) April 20, 2016
Here in the middle of Hiroshima Prefecture, rice planting time is drawing near.
Some regions of Japan plant rice earlier than others. Mountainous areas, as well as Japan's northeast, typically plant rice a few weeks later than in the rest of the country.
おはようライナー
189系N102編成
田植えの時期が近付いてきました。
そろそろあの組み合わせと撮影できる日も・・？ pic.twitter.com/uPHSyhuegb
— えぬ (@Cocoa_189_510) April 19, 2016
It's almost time for plangint rice [here in Nagano, in the mountains west of Tokyo]. Pretty soon I'll be able to take this shot with the train and flooded fields.
Fields, once plowed, must be flooded for several weeks in preparation for planting seedlings.
田植えの準備、水が張られ、逆さ由布の季節。
熊本に大きな地震、知人もいる。無事を祈る。
悲しみ、苦しみ、悔しさのあるのが人生。　だから明るく🙏 pic.twitter.com/lvUcU2bEf2
— 大将の由布院奮闘記！ (@YUFUNANOZEN) April 14, 2016
Getting ready for rice planting, we've flooded the fields, which provides a beautiful refection of the seasons. There has been a large earthquake in Kumamoto and I know people who are affected. I pray for their safety. Sadness, challenges and pain are part of our human existence. So I pray positive thoughts.
The flooded fields reflect the brilliant, warm light of spring in Japan, providing opportunities to capture magnificent images.
「水温む。」　　タテ位置
田んぼに張られた水もだいぶ温んで来た。里山ももうすぐ田植えだ。 pic.twitter.com/ySpWEWmtPw
— 写真の鉄人　橋本正弘 (@hasimot50730552) April 23, 2016
The water flooding the rice paddies is warming up. Soon we'll be able to plant rice here in satoyama.
In some parts of rural Japan, the wide flat valleys seem to be filled with flooded rice fields.
来週末から田植えが始まるので、今日は代掻きです。天気もいいし、脳内で【リバーランズ・スルーイット】の劇伴を再生。 pic.twitter.com/evIcHqVrfP
— 堀川憲司 (@horiken2000) April 23, 2016
We're planting rice next week so right now we're tilling the flooded paddies. The weather's fine and I have the theme from the movie ‘A River Runs Through It’ stuck in my head.
Once flooded, the rice seedlings are planted. While machines have automated much of the labor, some planting is till done by hand, typically in the corners of the rice paddies that are hard to reach on tractors.
早い所ではもう田植えが始まっています。１つ１つに願いを込めて。#NuAns #NuAnsNEO #NEOgrapher #NuAnsNEOで撮影
[NEOgrapher]
By … https://t.co/Vfnr65NVTg pic.twitter.com/Kdes0zbsPs
— NuAns (@NuAns_jp) April 24, 2016
In some parts of Japan they have already begun planting the seedlings. One by one we plant the rice and pray for their success.
The seedlings themselves are grown in greenhouses prior to planting.
28年度の会津コシヒカリの栽培でぅ。。種まきも終わり種をまいた苗箱を田んぼに据え付けしています。５月中旬には田植えが出来るまで芽がでます。。中腰になって据え付けるので腰がいて～(￣▽￣;) pic.twitter.com/9bGOubYpPQ
— 岡野　典生 (@aizu_ginntoki) April 15, 2016
We started growing koshihikari [the most popular strain of rice in Japan that was developed in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture in the post-war years] 28 years ago here in Aizu, Fukushima. First we grow the seedlings under cover here, and then transfer them to the rice paddy in mid-May when they're tall enough for planting.
Sometimes the seedlings are grown in and sold by large greenhouses operated by the local agricultural cooperative.
育苗センターでもいろいろ
みてきたよー(๑و•̀ω•́)و💓
お米ができるまでには88の苦労が
あるらしいけど今日みただけでも
たくさんの苦労があったよー😳
５月の田植えちょっと楽しみになった💓#JAお米アンバサダー pic.twitter.com/deQVZwrrPe
— ʚ麻央ɞ (@mao2_world) April 14, 2016
Here we are at the nursery. It's often said it takes an awful lot of effort to grow rice, and after visiting here today I can see why that is. I am really looking forward to rice planting in May, though!
There are a variety of strains of rice grown in Japan, each developed to match a specific microclimate. Kochijiwase is grown in a corner of Niigata known for a cooler climate.
越路早生 です。
今年は順調らしいです。
21日からは田植えが始まります！ pic.twitter.com/m8uvbQWrsi
— 渡邉 たける (@Takerutti_1021) April 13, 2016
This is a rice strain called koshijiwase. It looks like it's doing well. On April 21 we will be planting it!
The rice seedlings are typically planted by a specialized tractor developed in Japan after World War II.
https://t.co/8uyrHLAnoq 田植え #農業 #ビデオ pic.twitter.com/LSynWhnBCC
— Takeshi Kuro (@kuro_takeshi) April 13, 2016
Planting rice.
The flooded rice fields make for spectacular images.
２年前の同じ場所。
田植えの時期はキラキラで綺麗。 pic.twitter.com/sqFmcTfqav
— もももももももももももももももも (@MFKM_WFWF) April 12, 2016
Before and after shots of planting rice.
Rice planting is also a time for Japanese people to bond as they participate in an activity that is typically linked to Japan's national soul.
ええな、田植え🌾
もっかいやりたい、田植え🌾
幡多農で、みんなで🌾
幡多農の3年生、
放課後部活ある子ははめはずして
こんなんならんように気をつけて（笑）
後々めっちゃ大変やけんね👍🏻@boss14_8 pic.twitter.com/ubO7idAm11
— ゆうな (@kuu_masu) April 20, 2016
Rice planting… I'd like to try again! All of the third-year students at Hata Agricultural High School had an awesome time planting rice as part of after-school clubs. We got a little dirty, though.