Japan is not a temperate country. From sub-zero winters to sweltering summers, the changing seasons drum out the passage of time, giving rhythm and direction to the fundamental activities that drive and sustain life and culture here.
While spring is famous worldwide for its iconic cherry blossoms, within Japan, the true celebration of spring comes with planting rice and the most extended national holiday of the year, Golden Week.
No matter where you look in Japan during May, the renewed cycle of life is a constant, vibrant visual presence. We see it everywhere at the start of the rice planting season, as the fields slowly get turned from dry land to glistening ponds of life. And then there are the Golden Week holidays, building up to Children’s Day – it’s all about getting out, enjoying the sunshine, and embracing that festive spirit.
Here’s what is included in this week’s video:
The Transformation: Rice Planting Begins
This time of year in southern Japan marks the significant beginning of rice cultivation. In late April, our neighborhood rice farmers often collaborate, coming together to clear the irrigation gutters. This ensures the water supply reaches every field.
Then, water diverted from mountain sources and rivers is distributed through canals or ditches, flowing into the paddies on a steady, tightly controlled schedule. It rushes through the cleared channels, a life-giving force that awakens the fields, transforming dry soil into liquid paddies.
Turned repeatedly by the farmers, the once hard ground is transformed into a fertile marsh. Through the local farmers’ hard work and water’s transformative power, these once dry fields soon glisten with the promise of the new growing season. It’s a perfect environment, not just for the soon-to-be-planted rice shoots, but also a haven for a burgeoning ecosystem that had been quietly waiting for its moment to reappear.
Nature Awakens with the Water
As the ecosystem kicks into high gear, it’s a great time to see some of the forest creatures eager to shake off winter. The freshly flooded rice fields draw them in like a magnet. In the video, we were lucky enough to spot a green pheasant. This bird isn’t just endemic to Japan; it also happens to be Japan’s national bird!
We often see their feminine counterparts, which look and behave much like small brown chickens. However, these large and resplendently adorned males have proven to be more elusive, making this sighting particularly special.
Golden Week Atmosphere & Children’s Day
Late April to early May marks Japan’s Golden Week, a busy stretch of national holidays. To avoid the crowds, we mostly stayed within our home prefecture of Kochi, choosing open-air events that offered plenty of space and didn’t require reservations.
With all the blossoming of new life, it is only natural that there would be a celebration for children at this time of year. May 5th is Children’s Day, celebrated with koinobori carp streamers. These are symbols of hope for children’s health and success, rooted in a legend of a brave carp that swam upstream to become a dragon. This powerful meaning endures today. Adding a local flavor, the town of Kuroshio also features katsuo (skipjack tuna) streamers, a nod to the prefecture’s renowned regional cuisine.
T-Shirt Festival at the Beach
Adding to the town’s vibrant May atmosphere is the Sunabi Museum’s T-Shirt Art Exhibition. This event turns the beach into an open-air gallery, with hundreds of T-shirts, each a canvas created by individuals across Japan, fluttering in the sea breeze. This is also a popular surfing destination, and the area becomes festive with surfers taking advantage of the holiday, seeking the thrill of the waves.
Hands-On Rice Planting & Okonomiyaki
In the video, you’ll see me joining in on the rice planting by hand with some of the neighbors for my second year. I help with the seedlings that the machines might have missed. Similar to the rhythm of the seasons, planting rice by hand has its own careful rhythm – gently placing each sprout, making sure any crooked ones are straightened. It’s labor-intensive, but there’s this unexpected, almost meditative peace that comes with it. Even though my hand planting efforts were unquestionably amateurish, the generous farmers rewarded my attempts with a bundle of fresh produce. With the cabbage, we made the first Japanese dish that came to mind, and one of our favorites, okonomiyaki!
Conclusion: Embracing the Rhythm of Life
Enjoying the lengthening evenings and listening to the cacophony of night noises, it is hard not to feel this season’s optimism and promise. The countryside is waking up, life is gaining momentum, and we truly feel the rhythm of life here in the Japanese countryside. Everything seems possible, and even our most tedious projects that seemed to drag through the winter now seem surmountable once again.
