I knew my dad was up before 4 AM to harvest corn, but 5 AM was my absolute limit for waking up. This past Sunday, I woke up at my parents’ house again. I had completely forgotten it was my grandmother’s memorial day. I only found out when I heard my dad’s older and younger sisters were coming over. They were planning to gather in the early afternoon and then go to the grave.
Just before noon, after my dad finished handling the corn shipments, I ran an errand to the wagashi shop to pick up the ohagi we’d ordered. After that, it was off to the rice fields.
My dad was overwhelmed and couldn’t get to everything, so the rice seedlings were still sitting in their trays. He really wanted to get the root cutting done for them, so I left the grave visit to the older folks and headed to the fields by myself. I had planned to do more, but the fields that needed planting hadn’t even been puddled yet (that’s where you flood the field and churn it with a tractor). So, there wasn’t much else I could do. Other fields in the area had already been planted, and my dad was planning to start planting soon, so I figured I’d at least do what I could to prepare.
I changed into my boots, hoisted my tools, and started walking. It’s less than a kilometer from my parents’ house to the rice fields where we grow the seedlings—a nice little stroll. Even though it’s the countryside, you rarely see people walking around with farm tools. I bet it looked a little odd to the neighbors. That’s because most of the farmers in this area are elderly, and they usually drive their mini-trucks. You almost never see anyone walking around with farm tools. Still, sometimes I just like to walk this path.
It wasn’t urgent work. Sunday is pretty much my only day off all week. And it’s not like I actually enjoy helping out with farm work all the time (haha). But that’s precisely why I want to walk. I take my time, observing the neighborhood, reflecting on recent events, and always, always planning some fun activity that inevitably falls through. When I take things slow, it really feels like I’m making the most of my Sunday. At this time of year, I love watching the water flowing through the small irrigation canals for rice planting. And I could stare endlessly as they drop the weirs in the canals and the water fills the rice paddies.
There was no one else around, so I took breaks at my own pace. Even though I don’t exactly love farm work, I strangely don’t mind the calm feeling it brings.
Additional information:
- Wagashi (和菓子): Traditional Japanese confections, often made with mochi (rice cakes), anko (sweet bean paste), and fruits.
- Ohagi (おはぎ): A type of wagashi consisting of a ball of glutinous rice covered with sweet azuki bean paste or other toppings. It is often eaten during the spring and autumn equinoxes and at Buddhist memorial services.
- Puddling (代掻き – Shirokaki): A process in rice cultivation where a field is flooded with water and then tilled with a tractor or other implements. This breaks up the soil, levels the field, and prepares it for transplanting rice seedlings.
- Mini-truck (軽トラ – Kei Tora): Short for “Kei Truck,” these are small, lightweight pickup trucks very common in Japan, especially in rural areas, for farming and other utility purposes.
