Rice Planting Experience!

Naomi's House in Mukaihara, Hiroshima Prefecture

4th May 2007

Today marked my first experience planting rice in Japan. Naomi's dad was up early at the crack of dawn before heading out into the rice field with the rice planting machine that can plant three rows at once. In the picture you can see that he has to walk with the machine to guide it in a straight line. Most modern day machines allow you to sit on it and let the machine do it for you planting up to 6 rows at once although I am sure there are bigger machines for bigger fields with bigger prices!

Naomi's dad with the rice planting machine

Most people plant the rice around the beginning of May and harvesting usually takes place in October. The rainy season that kicks in around June provides most of the water that the rice requires to grow.

Naomi's dad at the half way point!

Naomi's dad got the rice planted in around 3 hours (10:30am) followed by a cold beer and snacks before we all got in the field to carry out the rather tedious task of placing extra rice plant sprouts in places where the machine missed. As the rice field is just wet mud knee high I got to wear my own rice planting boots! As I took my first step into the field I almost fell in and after a few close calls I managed to get my balance and mastered how to walk in mud! At times my leg almost slipped out of the boot as I tried to pull my leg out from behind to take another step. We had baskets tied around our waists and with rice sprouts in one hand and bending down looking for spots that needed to be topped up we got on with the task.

Me passing a bunch of rice sprouts to be planted

It was definitely an interesting experience that does require a fair bit of energy but as Naomi said to me, it is rewarding at the dinner table when you know that what you are eating is what the family worked hard to make together not to mention it costing a whole lot less than buying it in the shop.

View from Naomi's house with their rice paddy and the Geibi Line that runs to central Hiroshima 45km away

Spring Excursion!

Walking Course - 6.5km

It rained the day Yawata Primary School was supposed to have their Spring Excursion so it got moved to Wednesday which, lucky for me, happened to be the day I go to the school for English! We had an early 8:30am departure from the school not by bus but by foot! It was my first time to go on a school walking excursion and we had 6.5km to walk by 3pm! The weather was cloudy for the first half of the morning and looked like it was going to rain but we were lucky. The Primary school has about 40 children in total from Years 1 through to the Year 6s. We walked in a straight line along the old main road passing the local Junior High School which due to the lack of children in the area has been closed for the time being.

The start of our 6.5km adventure

The closed Yawata Junior High School

We passed many rice paddy's which are being prepared for the rice growing season. We then turned towards the mountains and walked up a pretty steep mountain road for a couple kms where we stopped for some morning tea before have a local volunteer talk to the students about the nature in the area. We learnt that there were around 270 different types of cherry trees in Japan and counted the petals on three types, one having 70 or so petals!

A talk about cherry trees

A surprise for the students

The guide showed us a lookout and we enjoyed the view of the Kawadori area.

View of the Kawadori area with a dozen rice paddy's

After taking some photos and saying goodbye to the guide we continued down hill before arriving at our lunch destination, Yawata Temple. The temple has quite a grand entrance with the path up to the temple surrounded by countless Japanese Cedar trees which are over 1000 years old and some of the tallest trees I have seen in Japan.

Entrance to Yawata Temple



The huge Japanese Cedar trees

The school bento 'lunchbox' arrived and we sat in little groups and ate lunch. Afterwards the Buddhist Priest talked to the kids about the history of Yawata and the temple on the steps of the main hall.

A word about the history of Yawata

The kids were also lucky enough to receive some little snacks and juice from the priest as we departed the temple for the final leg back to the school. It was a great day and I was a little tired from walking but glad to have been able to learn about the beautiful area that the children live in.

Yamazakura

Yamazakura （山桜）is a late blooming type of cherry tree. Tojo-cho, where I am living now is home to one of the biggest trees of its kinds in Hiroshima Prefecture. The first is Chidori Besshaku which is on the news every year and attracts thousands of people from all over Japan to gaze at its beauty. To get to the tree you have to drive along the very narrow two way Route 12 which is frightening to drive along with rice paddy's on the side with no guard-rail and no room for another car to pass by but is worth it!

5th April 2007
bear tree

25th April 2007
full blossom

30th April 2007
full bloom - deeper colours

Spring is here!

Purple Tulips

Sera Highlands Flower Plantation, Sera Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan - 29th April 2007
世羅高原農園、広島県世羅町

Today Naomi and I decided to go for a drive 50km south from Tojo where I now live to a place called Sera which is well known for it's beautiful flower plantation. At the moment all the tulips are in full blossom and people in their dozens crowded the highlands on this beautiful warm spring day. It is Golden week at the moment in Japan which consists of a few public holidays all within days of eachother making for some people a 9 day break from work. However, when there is a public holiday in Japan it means wherever you choose to go and relax, you will be amongst great crowds! Fortunetely the Sera Highlands Flower Plantation is huge and you can find a nice quiet spot and take some photos or enjoy the wonderful gradients of colour the tulips bring as you can see in the picture below. Depending on the time of the year, this place has different types of flowers so once the tulips wither away, I guess they will be planting the next lot of flowers! The cherry blossoms have all fallen off and the season of fresh green has arrived and lots of trees that lose their leaves in Autumn have begun shooting out with little new green leaves. Keep checking for new photos of Japan in Spring!

Rainbow of Tulips!

Cherry Blossom season is here!!

庄原市の上野公園

Shobara City, Ueno Park

The brief cherry blossom season has arrived and all over Japan these pale pink flowers can be seen. Parks are filled with people wanting to enjoy a few hours relaxation underneath the blossoms drinking a beer and enjoying a 'bento', japanese lunchbox or for the well prepared, a barbeque! The picture above shows a lake surrounded by the trees with lantons and seats scattered around to sit down and take in the view. I went on a weekday which made viewing easy but the day before Naomi and I went to a place where it is said to be quite beautiful however with it being a Sunday and most people having the day off everyone decided to head off to the same place which caused major traffic jams. After moving slower than a baby taking his first steps and not getting anywhere, we decided to turn around and park where a few cherry blossom trees were and took a breath of fresh air!

安芸高田市の土師ダムの付近

A place near Haji Dam, Surroundings of Akitakata City

庄原市の上野公園

Shobara City, Ueno Park

広島県安芸高田市土師ダム
Haji Dam, Akitakata City, Hiroshima Prefecture

土師ダム　花見

People enjoying the cherry blossoms with friends & family

土師ダム入り口
Entrance to Haji Dam

Miyajima - Itsukushima Shrine

Miyajima - Itsukushima Shrine, 17th March 2007

宮島ー厳島神社

This morning I met an old friend Yuka, from when I was living in Osaka. We hadn't seen eachother in over a year so we had a lot to talk about. As the weather was nice we headed to Miyajima which is quite close to where I am living. The deers were all out and about and saw a tourists map being eaten by one! I hope he managed to find his way home! We had lunch at a small Japanese style restaurant and ate some local fish. Afterwards we had a walk around the various temples and pagodas. On the way back we stopped at a traditional Japanese tea house for some Macha and Chikara-mochi. The wind picked up in the afternoon which made the short ferry trip back to the mainland a tad rough. Since Yuka was in Hiroshima there was no better way to taste the local food than having Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki which has noodles rather than cabbage. Personally I prefer Kansai-style so we went to Tokugawa where they have both and the best thing is that you can make it yourself! A great day!

My Last Day At Yoshiwa Primary School

Yoshiwa, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan - 14th March 2007

After two years teaching the children at Yoshiwa Primary School, it was time to say farewell to them. We had our last English lessons together and seeing how they have progressed since I first started teaching them, I was so glad that I could leave knowing that all the kids had got something out of the lessons.

After lunch, I played a game with the year 5 and 6 students outside which really got me running on my feet! In the afternoon, the school gathering in the gym for graduation practise but beforehand they held a small farewell ceremony for me. I was seated at the very front while the principal gave a speech about the last 2 years I had been there which followed by a short speech by one of the year 4 students which had sweet words about how much she had learnt about English. Finally I gave a short speech encouraging the students to take every chance they can to learn another language and perhaps one day, do what I have, and head overseas to another country and emerge yourself in the country's history and culture.

The record breaking snowfalls of 2005/2006, driving on iced-up roads 500m above sea-level, walking through the playground with snow up to my knees in minus degree temperatures and playing games such as onigoko(chasy) with the kids on hot and humid summer days will remain some of the most memorable experiences and times of my life in Japan.