rice cultivation

稲作 inasaku  米作り kome zukuri

customs + traditions

Almost half of the agricultural land in Japan is used for wet rice cultivation – after all, rice forms the basis of the Japanese diet. But rice is not only a foodstuff, but has been an important part of Japanese culture, which is characterised by rice cultivation, for over 3000 years.The word for cooked rice in Japanese, gohan, can also mean “meal”. Until the Edo period (1603-1868) not everyone was able to eat rice every day, because it was not technically possible to grow it in the mountains or in the cold north. For a long time, it served as currency and the possession of a large quantity of the valuable grain was a status symbol. Rice is only planted at the beginning of the rainy season in May / June and, if possible, harvested before the onset of the typhoons in autumn.