Rice fields are one of the key parts of Japanese countryside scenery. This beautiful rice fields are Oyama senmai-da (senmai-da means "thousand paddies") where small paddies are build at steep slopes. Rice has been the most important product of Japan for long years and people try to farm even at such ill-fitted places.



Some of these paddies can't be mechanization because access way can't be build, or space is too limited, etc., and many are abandoned from farming recently. Some local NPO are trying to keep these paddies.

Today, I joined a event held by one of such NPO - Experience program of planting rice plants. Participants walk into paddies and plant rice plants by hand.





Even for me, a Japanese, this is only the 2nd time to plant rice plants, so for foreigners it must be very intersiting experience. Rice planting season will finish soon.

This is the NPO's site:
http://www.senmaida.com/acceptance/

You can contact them by phone 04-7099-9050 or email info@senmaida.com
I don't think they speak English, but they may read/write English. (I saw some forigners today.)

So this is something you can sign up for? Are kids allowed?

There are 3 types of programs.

Kids are allowed.

1. Daily experience program

Just join some farmer's acitivities for a day.
Date / Time are flexible. Call NPO and they will arrange on your demand.
1,000 Yen per day per person.

2. Trust

I'm joining this program.

Share some paddies with other trust members for a season. 30,000 Yen per year per family.
Can go to the rice garden about 6 times a season. (Don't have to go all events.)
Must sign up before March. This year's program are closed.

3. Owner

Rent about 100 sq meters paddy for a season. 30,000 Yen per year per paddy. (depends on the width of the paddy.)
Have to go to the rice garden 7 or 8 times a season.
Must sign up before January. This year's program are closed.

Looks cool, I've sent this to myself for next year. Thanks!

I've been to my shared rice paddy to harvest grown rice plants.

The color of grown rice plants looks like gold rather than green.



A farmer teached me how to harvest and how to tie them into this V shaped bundle.



We are working. Very hot day, but it was a joy.



Dry hanger. We have to dry rice plants for about a week. (This is not my shared paddy. I didn't take my paddy's dry hanger...)



Yet another 2 steps needed to eat MY rice.
Grain threshing (coming weekend) and polishing rice (Oct. 10).

Can't wait to see your finished product! This is very cool, thanks for sharing so far!

I forgot to update the last part for 3 weeks...

Oct. 10, 2010, I went to Oyama Senmai-da again to pick my harvest up. It was rainy day. It was the 1st time I see rainy Oyama Senmai-da rice paddies. The view of rice paddies with foggy rain clouds was fantastic.



I went to the rice storage and got my 30kg of rice (not polished).

Me in front of the rice storage


I expected 30kg of rice will be packed into some 10kg or 5kg bags, but it was in one 30kg bag. I'm not a strong man, so that it was very tough work for me to bring it from storage to parking.



The next day, Oct. 11, 2010, I went to JA (Japan Agricultural coop.) Sagamihara where I can rent automated rice polisher. (100Yen / 5kg)



My brown rice on the polisher in-tray.



White polished rice - output from polisher.



My wife cooked it. This picture is the final result. Of course, it was delicious.

It has been really awesome and interesting to see your rice from start to finish. Thank you so much again for sharing!

Mmmm, rice looks yummy.

For those who are interested to take part in this activity this year.

The NPO is accepting application for this year. Due date for the application is Sun. Feb. 27, 2011 - the day after tomorrow.

Sorry for the last minutes update. (I myself am nearly miss it...)


If you want to apply, write email to info@senmaida.com or fax an application to 04-7099-9051

[Application Form]
Name:
Age/Sex:
Occupation:
Address:
Phone:
Email:

If the number of applicant is larger than the capacity, drawing will be held and you will be noticed the result by Mar. 7, 2011. After that you may be asked to pay 30,000 Yen as a fee for this years activities.

The 1st meeting will be held at Mar. 27, 2011.

Family members can join all events (rice planting, harvesting, etc.) without extra fee. (except lunch. 500 Yen per person usually) They actually don't check if the "family member" is actually a family member. So 4 or 5 friends group can apply as a "family", I think.

Very interesting. I think that I'd like to participate in something like this, but I think other grains are easier to grow (i.e. Barley for my homebrew, lol)