Susan2
Yesterday I had
the pleasure of learning to plant rice. This is one of the things I hoped to experience
during this trip to Japan. The morning started with a drive into the mountains
to pick up pallets of rice from the greenhouse. The view on the way there was
stunning. We brought the rice to the paddies where I was surprised to find out
that it is planted by a tractor driven machine. It was easy to imagine rice
planting in the past when many people would gather to happily plant the rice,
ending the day by sharing a meal. This was made sweeter by the fact that surrounding
the rice paddies is a cemetery. I felt like the village ancestors were watching
over us all day.
Being from America
I was brought up with excess and never learned to value what I had. One of the
things that impressed me on my first trip to Japan was how this style of living
is culturally not a part of daily life. There certainly is wealth and ownership;
many people live a very affluent lifestyle, drive nice cars, and wear lovely
clothes. Just like in America, many people don’t. The difference is in daily
thinking or a style of living. When I returned to Japan I wanted to experience a
more traditional style of living. This is why I chose to live and work on
Japanese farms.
This morning at
breakfast we had a discussion about wastefulness. Kentaro was talking about the
leftover rice, and how some farmers, after planting what they need, just
discard what is left. This led to a conversation about recycling, and
composting as a way of life. Coming from a country where those things are not a
requirement but a choice I can really appreciate this way of thinking. For me
it is comforting to live this lifestyle for the time I am here.
This morning at
breakfast we had a discussion about wastefulness. Kentaro was talking about the
leftover rice, and how some farmers, after planting what they need, just discard
what is left. This led to a conversation about recycling, and composting as a
way of life. Coming from a country where those things are not a requirement but
a choice I can really appreciate this way of thinking. For me it is comforting
to live this lifestyle for the time I am here.
|