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Robert took his latest Japan Unmasked small group tour into the heart of Nara prefecture to help local farmers with the harvest of InsideJapan’s very own rice paddy.
Asuka, Nara Prefecture
Deep in the heart of Nara prefecture in a small village called Asuka, Inside Japan have their very own rice field. It’s managed by local farmers, but we head to the area to plant rice in spring and make a trip back to harvest it in autumn, often with some of our eager customers. Recently I took a Japan Unmasked tour to meet the local farmers and join the harvest fun.
We took a train from Kyoto to Kashihara Jingu-mae station in the early hours, and from there, took taxis to Inabuchi; an area in the midst of Asuka’s misty mountains. The taxis dropped us off at a bridge; there was a moment of silence whilst everyone took it all in. We were surrounded by nothing but nature. One of the best parts of Japan is that you can travel only an hour away from a city such as Kyoto and find yourself in a picture-perfect scene like this. Whilst everyone was looking around and taking photos in awe, I spotted a representative from the Asuka New Tourism Committee waving to us from the far side of the bridge.
Tour of the area
The day started with a tour by one of the farmers, he told us about some of the local traditions here. A particularly memorable one was about a large straw rope, embedded with elements of Shintoism, that hangs over a river.
It turns out that this rope represents male genitalia, and supposedly protects the land. He told us that there was a year when a lot of local residents fell sick – some even passing away – after it was taken down. So the rope was reinstated and has remained ever since. We were assured that a separate one representing female genitalia is located upstream.
Scarecrows
On ‘scarecrow road’ residents and visitors have made and donated creative “scarecrows” for a local competition. I put it in quotation marks because a lot of them were unlike any scarecrow I have ever seen… Such as famous Japanese characters recreating scenes from well-known stories, or others that are impressively enormous. The farmers were happy to point out the ones they had created themselves, along with some of the winning entries.
InsideJapan’s rice paddy
After making it to the rice paddy with an “Inside Japan” post, we split into two small groups. The farmers showed us how to harvest the rice and we took it in turns to get stuck into the mud. One of us nearly fell right in – to much hilarity from everyone! Due to some rainy days the ground was unusually muddy so they suggested that we harvest only a portion of the field.
Harvesting
We were shown how to tie harvested rice together so that it can be hung to dry in the sun. This is to ensure that the rice can absorb the flavours of the sun (and later be sold at a premium). I’m not sure whether I’ve ever tasted the sun in rice before, but the lunch they prepared for us had me doubting myself…
Lunchtime
After everyone had their fair share of harvesting and setting the crops out to dry, we walked back to the community centre in the area. A feast of locally-sourced food was waiting for us; there was sun-kissed rice, vegetable tempura, and everyone’s favourite dish: chicken cooked in a plum sauce. Hungry from the morning workout, we all tucked in.
During a brief walk afterwards, the local farmers expressed their concerns about the future of farming in Japan. The oldest who helped us was 91, and the youngest already in his late sixties. They looked incredibly healthy and could continue for many years to come, but they are worried about the lack of interest in working the fields from the younger generation. Through initiatives such as this one, the industries are put into the limelight.
Hopefully this will spark more interest in farming. They are so proud to feed residents across Japan every year; it’s a career that future farmers should feel proud to embrace.
The rice harvest took place with the help of Robert’s Japan Unmasked small group tour.