Rice Planting

Well, it is rice planting season so we thought we would join in. Today we went to a small co-op with a couple of rice fields (tanbo) and learned how to plant rice the old fashioned way. The first thing we did was pull up the rice seedlings from a nearby field.  That was backbreaking work in itself.  Then we took them over to the planting field.  Here it is before the planting:

Then we began the actual planting.  You would take three or four seedlings and put them in the wet mud in rows about 6 inches apart.  The mud was very thick and mushy!  Here is Madeleine just getting started:

Vanessa and I also planted three rows each to the left of Maddie.  It was hard because you had to bend over for each planting and also walk in the muck.  A few people fell down and got covered in mud because you have to kind of wallow around to get yourself back up.  After an hour or so the first field was planted.   
Maddie surveys her work:
Hard working rice planters:
Taking a break by a creek:
Lunch was called so we headed over to a nearby spring and washed up.  While we worked, some Japanese ladies had prepared two big pots of Japanese curry over open fires.  We had a picnic style lunch.  It was delicious!

Maddie with some of the other kids:

We were pretty tired out and our backs ached but we had a lot of fun and learned a good deal about rice planting!  Perhaps we will go back at harvest time and give that a try.