During April and May, farmers in our area are busy preparing for the transplantation of rice seedlings.

Some of the farmers have jobs in addition to tending the fields, thus they were very busy during the annual Golden Week vacation period. In Japan, we have consecutive national holidays during the first week of May, so the week is called Golden Week. Their work is not as hard as it used to be, because they use modernized farming machines.

Young rice plants are growing well and strong. Farmers plant rice seeds in the middle of April and wait about a month before they sprout. These plants will be transplanted to the rice fields in May.

Before transplanting the rice seedlings, farmers plow the rice fields and spread fertilizer, flood the fields and then till the fields until the soil becomes soft. This process is called Shirokaki in Japanese. It is also important for the farmers to cut the grass covering the footpaths between the rice fields. After this, they mend the footpaths to fill in any recent holes.

In more recent times, women play more active roles in farming.

A woman is driving an agricultural tractor. She is plowing her rice fields and then will move on to till the fields.

A farmer is spreading calcium based fertilizer for soil enrichment. This is very useful to make the rice plants strong.

He is mending the footpaths and drains between rice fields to ensure the rice fields retain the water.

Farmers also fill in the holes made by moles or field mice. It is commonly believed that 3.75kg of each rice crop is eaten by moles. If we leave the holes as they are, a great deal of damage can be done to the rice crop.

Local people in our area cooperate in protecting the natural environment. They do their best to keep the water clean. Water sources and the natural environment are very important in farming. They also combine forces for the prosperity and development of the community.

The trees and plants around us have turned green and we feel happy to see them. Small brooks murmur as they run through our area. Larvae that grow in the swamp will soon burrow into the ground and return in the beginning of July as fireflies.