| The First Step in Rice Making-Planting the Rice | Reporter: Yuta Kikuchi Click here for Yuta's report! |
 This machine is a big help in rice planting! |
From May rice planting begins and it becomes very busy. The seedlings that have been raised in a greenhouse for about a month are transplanted by a rice planting machine. Before planting the rice field is tilled and flattened. If it rains, too much water can fill the rice field, so it's important to remember to take a little out. The boxes that contain the seedlings have water inside and they are really heavy. Grandma and Mom can carry two at a time but its too heavy for me so I only carry one and help out. The places where the planting machine has passed becomes sloppy so we use a rake to flatten it out. If we still can't plant after that then we have to plant by hand. When we are working in the rice fields our clothes become full of mud. Gloves and boots become real dirty too. When all the work is done we can finally breath a sigh of relief. Rice planting is the first step in the big job of making rice. If it isn't done properly then we can't have a good rice harvest. When we watch other people planting rice it doesn't seem so hard but just walking in the muddy field makes your legs really tired. It's a big job but making rice is very important work. From now on, whenever I can help, I'll try my best and help make rice with my Dad and Mom. |
 The box full of seedlings is very heavy and carrying just one is a real chore! |
| One of the most important part of growing rice is planting the seedlings. Machines help but you have to work a lot by hand and it's very hard. But this is the first step in rice making. There still a lot of work left until the harvest in autumn. If there's something you'd like to know about making rice let me know! |  |