ECOPLUS will conduct rice harvesting workshop on 23-24 September 2023 in Kabanosa Village, Minamiuonuma, Niigata.We have been monitoring the growing process since the planting time. With this long hot and dry summer, ears are successfully coming out now. In this situation, in those weekend, the rice will be ready to be harvested.
Suggested train schedule from Tokyo Joetsu Shinkansen Toki 309 Departing Tokyo at 08:52, arriving Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:20 Joetsu local line Departing Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:30, arriving Joetsu Kokusai Skiing Ground at 10:44
Contents and bringing Weeding works by hands. Will be cancelled only in stormy condition. Bring your own lunch for Saturday, and water during activities. Clothings may get muddy. Insect repellent, a hat/cap. More information will be provided for those whose participation is confirmed.
定員 Limit of participants. 15人程度。Up to around 15 participants.
参加費 Fee 一般17,000円（プログラム費、1泊2食の宿泊費、2日目の昼食、保険を含む）。男女別相部屋です。ご家族連れは調整させていただきます。学生は14,000円。 宿泊なしの場合は、大人8,000円、小学生は1,000円。 17,000 JPY including program fee, accommodations with two meals, lunch on Sunday, insurance. Shared room. Students and other youth, 14,000 JPY.
申し込み Application 下のフォームからお申し込み下さい。Please use below application form. 問い合わせは、tappo@ecoplus.jpまで。If needed contact to tappo@ecoplus.jp
ECOPLUS conducted rice weeding and planting workshop on 10-11 June 2023 in Kabanoswa Village, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Participants were so active that in addition to the weeding works, they also planted seedlings in another organic rice paddy. From the forest, tweets of a ruddy kingfisher were identified and in the evening, we observed several fireflies. Gorgeous weekend in the pristine environment!
On Saturday, we started the workshop with four participants at the beginning. Walking around the village and hiking up to the old fort of “Kabasawa-Zyo” which has the more than 450-year-history to understand the background of the area.
In the weeding workshop, participants put their bear feet carefully into the rice paddy. Thanks to the sun shine, the water was warmed up as if it would be a warm bath tub water and mud was very smooth. Seedlings were grown to about 20 cm tall and those were surrounded by tiny green leaves of weeds underwater. With five fingers strongly open, we were rubbing the mud to remove the roots of weeds out of mud. Some of weeds were trapped in the hand and we through away those outside of the paddy.
On day 2, with five more persons, we tried to plant seedlings in a rice paddy which had not been used for over 10 years. With the help of a tractor, the paddy was reshaped as a rice paddy, however the too much plants grown in the area were buried in the ground and those biodegrading process generated much of gas which is harmful for rice seedlings. After several tilling and drying processes, the condition looked like suitable for planting.
Making marks by a hexagon frames is the traditional way of rice planting in “Minami-Uonuma” area. It was not easy to roll the frame straight for participants. Some of young participants experienced the action. Others followed the frame to plant seedlings by their hands. At the end of the session, we identified three Japanese fire belly newt which is classified as the near threatened(NT) category in Red Data book of Japan.
Thought the weekend, we felt the richness of the nature surround the organic non-chemical rice paddies with tweets of ruddy kingfishes, dancing fireflies and others. Participants confirmed that the history of the village for over 500 years was fostered by the nature of the area and knowledge of ancestors who had been using the environment wisely.
ECOPLUS conducted rice planting workshop on 27-28 May 2023 in Kabanoswa Village, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. In past 16 years, we organized the program in nearby village, Tochikubo. Due to the aging issue of the village, the venue was moved to Kabanosawa from this season.
On Saturday, seven participants including students, office worker and retired person with local supporters, started to take out seedlings from seed beds in the rice paddy.
In the seedbed, seedlings were grown to around 10 cm high densely. Since late April when seeds were spread, temperature went down below 10 C some time. So the hight of the seedlings were bit low but stems were strong. In order to minimize damages of roots, not just pulling out, it needed to push fingers deeper in the mud, then to bring out seedling with mud. After washing mud with water, we made bunched of seedlings. Inside of young leaves, we identified several tiny golden dragonflies, a endangered species, “Mortonagrion selenion.”
The rice paddy, we will conduct the program, was where TAKANO Takako and OHMAE Junichi has been learning the traditional rice growing by elders living nearby since 2007. Since no chemical materials has been used for nearly 20 years, many creatures such as pond snails, dragonflies, newts, loaches and others including listed species.
枠転がし To put marks where seedlings should be sit, we used this hexagonal wooden frame.
On Sunday, we had an early morning bird watching session with a local specialist. We spotted gray herons, grey-faced buzzards and others. The walk to the top of the old fort, “Kabasawa-Zyo,” which once was serious battle field of Uesugi-clan and Hozyo-clan more than 400 years ago, gave us the sense of accumulation of peoples live in the area.
Suggested train schedule from Tokyo Joetsu Shinkansen Toki 309 Departing Tokyo at 08:52, arriving Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:20 Joetsu local line Departing Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:30, arriving Joetsu Kokusai Skiing Ground at 10:44
Contents and bringing Weeding works by hands. Will be cancelled only in stormy condition. Bring your own lunch for Saturday, and water during activities. Clothings may get muddy. Insect repellent, a hat/cap. We recommend to come into the paddy with bare feet to feel the soil directly. Beach sandals are useful to wash your feet in a stream. More information will be provided for those whose participation is confirmed.
定員 Limit of participants. 15人程度。Up to around 15 participants.
参加費 Fee 16,000円（プログラム費、1泊2食の宿泊費、2日目の昼食、保険を含む）。男女別相部屋です。ご家族連れは調整させていただきます。学生等で田んぼ脇の民家での寝袋泊も可、9,000円。宿泊なしの場合は、大人8,000円、小学生は1,000円。 16,000 JPY including program fee, accommodations with two meals, lunch on Sunday, insurance. Shared room. Students and other youth with sleeping bags can stay in a house next to the paddy with 9,000 JPY.
申し込み Application 下のフォームからお申し込み下さい。Please use below application form. 問い合わせは、tappo@ecoplus.jpまで。If needed contact to tappo@ecoplus.jp
ECOPLUS will organize the workshop, “ABC” in a Rice Paddy, in 2023. Although the climate is a bit curious., such as the snow melted 2-3 weeks earlier than normal years, we will conduct the programs as follows.
Rice planting; May 27-28 Weeding in the paddy; June 10-11 and other dates Harvesting; September 23-24 (tentative)
ECOPLUS had been organizing this special workshops in Tochikubo Village since 2007. Sadly, the aging issue caused villagers could not keep the farming works by themselves and those rice paddies in under the management of outside organization. So, we moved the place to Kabanosawa Village for the workshop this year 2023.
映画「地球交響曲第七番」の撮影にもこの田んぼで行われました。A movie, “Gaia Symphony No. 7” was shot in this paddy.
The rice paddy, we will conduct the program, was where TAKANO Takako and OHMAE Junichi has been learning the traditional rice growing by elders living nearby since 2007. Since no chemical materials has been used for nearly 20 years, many creatures such as pond snails, dragonflies, newts, loaches and others including listed species.
Suggested train schedule from Tokyo Joetsu Shinkansen Toki 309 Departing Tokyo at 08:52, arriving Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:20 Joetsu local line Departing Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:30, arriving Joetsu Kokusai Skiing Ground at 10:44
Contents and bringing Planting seedlings by hands. Will be cancelled only in stormy condition. Bring your own lunch for Saturday, and water during activities. Clothings may get muddy. Insect repellent, a hat/cap. We recommend to come into the paddy with bare feet to feel the soil directly. Beach sandals are useful to wash your feet in a stream. More information will be provided for those whose participation is confirmed.
定員 Limit of participants. 15人程度。Up to around 15 participants.
参加費 Fee 16,000円（プログラム費、1泊2食の宿泊費、2日目の昼食、保険を含む）。男女別相部屋です。ご家族連れは調整させていただきます。学生等で田んぼ脇の民家での寝袋泊も可、9,000円。宿泊なしの場合は、大人8,000円、小学生は1,000円。 16,000 JPY including program fee, accommodations with two meals, lunch on Sunday, insurance. Shared room. Students and other youth with sleeping bags can stay in a house next to the paddy with 9,000 JPY.
申し込み Application 下のフォームからお申し込み下さい。Please use below application form. 問い合わせは、tappo@ecoplus.jpまで。If needed contact to tappo@ecoplus.jp
ECOPLUS conducted the rice planting workshop on the weekend of May 21-22 in Tochikubo village in Minami-Uonuma, Niigata. The workshop had been shrunk as one day trip because of the COVID-19 and this was the first time to organize as the full-program since 2019. For the rice planting workshop, from elementary school kids to retired person, in total of around 30 were joined.
On Saturday, we gathered at the “Chateau Hotel Ipponsugi“ near the village. We moved up to the top of the mountain ridge by cars and observed the view of the Uonuma basin which is the home of the famous “Koshihikari” rice. The mountain area was once a bottom of ancient ocean. According to the locals, the minerals once accumulated in the bottom of the ocean is still seeping out, then provides rich nutrition to the rice.
Through the mountain ridge, parts of ancient path since the medieval tome were remained. We strolled along the small part of the path which was still covered by snow. Edible mountain vegetables were also identified in the forest near the path.
In the Tochikubo village, Mr. FUEKI Akira gave us a lecture on rice growing focusing on rice planting period. Many works needed before the rice planting, like spreading organic fertilizer, tilling, fine tilling with water, selection of well grown seeds with salt water, making seed bed, and others. Participants were impressed by so many steps with well experienced skills and knowledges were hidden in daily life in rice farming.
At the dinner, local edible vegetable were offered in different dishes. Surprisingly, the long dinner table which was decorated with local vines with purple flower and arrangements of edible vegetables provided the atmosphere close to the nature. The dinner was followed b the slide show of different seasons of the area.
On Sunday, it was still raining in the breakfast time but when we arrived to the rice paddy, rain was almost stoped. At the begging, we used an hexagon wood frame with 3 miters wide to mark on the soil to identify where the seedlings should be sit. First, OHMAE of ECOPLUS made one round trip, then other participant followed. It was not easy to go straight. Elementary school kids and high school student also tried to roll the frame with the supporting calls.
Surrounded by the beautiful nature, we enjoyed traditional planting works in this non-chemical rice paddy. ウグイスの鳴き声などに包まれて、無農薬田んぼで伝統の技を体験しました。
Rice paddy was not so cold and we could feel the softness of the soil. In fact, bear feet would be the best to experience the rice planting. Big rubber boots would make big foot prints which might lay down planted seedlings. With bear feet, we could feel the difference of depth of the mud and difference of the quality of the soil.
Time by time, we had blue sky with beautiful sunshine. Participants accustomed to plant seedlings gradually then, all the rice paddy were filled with young seedling in order by the noon. The lunch was prepared by a local inn; rice balls, cooked mountain vegetables and miso-soup with different mountain vegetables.
Coming back the hotel, we had the reflection session. As a full program for two days, we had lecture and other activities in advance of the actual works in the rice paddy. Many participants said, with the enough background understandings, actual rice planting work was more meaningful experience. ECOPLUS also confirmed that the full program could offer deeper learning on rice, history, tradition. and sustainability.
Next workshop is scheduled on the weekend of June 11-12 with the theme of “weeding.”
On September 25 and 26 of 2021, ECOPLUS conducted harvesting workshop in an organic rice paddy in Tochikubo Village in Minamiuonuma, the heartland of the famous “Koshihikari-Rice,” in Niigata.
Considering the situation of COVID-19, we organized the program as a day program asking participants come to and leave from the paddy directly. All 23 participants were fully vaccinated.
On Saturday, we had gorgeous view of golden rice paddy under the blue sky. In order to protect skin, we needed to wear long sleeves. The sunshine was so strong. All of us sweated from the beginning. Mr.FUEKI Akira, a local farmer, taught us the important and difficult skill, to bundle the sheaf, called “Meruke,” in this area.
More than half of participants were totally novice at using a sickle. At the beginning they were struggling to cut the stems clearly and to make “Maruke” in muddy rice paddy.
However in one hour or so, people acquired the ways. Some were just keep cutting and bundling works and some were doing the work taking neighboring persons joyfully. Fresh green colored frogs were jumping out from the ground. Red dragonflies were coming close to us. From a tiny structure to introduce water to the paddy, small fishes were caught and a local biologist explained those as one of endangered species in Japan, called “Shiny-Motsugo.”
On Sunday, weather condition totally changed. We started the work one hour earlier. It was cool and comfortable at the beginning. The work went smoother than the day before. Close to the noon, the rain started. The temperature went down, too. At the end, all of us worked hard to finish. Surprisingly we finished all works from cutting, budding and hanging by shortly after 1 pm.
“I somehow felt appreciation when I thought each of those grains was a ‘seed’ when I faced to those rice. The shining golden rice field might not be illusion. Rice was shining because they were celebrating the final phase to pass the life to the next generation;” a young participant commented.
The organic rice will be dried for 10 days to 2 weeks. Then husks will be removed and will be ready to eat. Only limited amount are available for interested persons.
In past years, the program had been conducted as three nights and four days actual program staying in the snowy village, Tochikubo, learning the reality of current Japanese society through volunteer works like snow shoveling. However, because of Covid-19, the program of this year was totally conducted on-line.
Students learned the situation of the village with video materials including footage of snow shoveling on the roof, interferes of the locals and introduction of the elementary school in the village with a total of 12 students from 1 to 6 grade. Then, online interactive session was held.
On 8 Feb., the interactive session with the elementary school was held. Kids presented what they learned during the school year with dance and play, then university and elementary students were communicated over the screen.
Also TAKANO Takako, an executive director of ECOPLUS and a visiting professor of Rikkyo university, visited community homes holding her laptop computer for the live interviews to offer the students the reality of the live and farming business in the snowy community.
Despite the hard situation by Covid-19, students looked like deepened understandings about the situation of Japanese society and acquired skills how to investigate current situation of the society and the prospect for the sustainable future.
Ecoplus conducted rice harvesting workshop on Oct. 13-14, 2019, at Tochikubo village, Minamiuonuma, Niigata. Due to the slow growth of rice in this year, we once postponedthe schedule one week and caused by typhoon #19, or “Hagibis,” we set the workshop one day later. Students and adults from metropolitan area were struggled to come struggling confused train and highway networks. At the end seven participants succeeded to participate the program.
With the heavy rain by the typhoon, the rice paddies was covered by an inch or two of water. It was quite tough condition although most of rice were not knocked down by the wind. In such condition, a high school boy, who experienced the work first time, learned and acquired how to cut straws and to bind those by a year old straws.
In the rice paddy, no chemical pesticides nor weed killers has been used for over ten years. Only organic fertilizer has been used. Because of such efforts, many weeds were covering the ground and many insects were hopping around. Sheaves of rice were hung along the bars called “Haza,” for sun dry for around 10 days. Through this, participants experienced the way of traditional rice production of the area until some decades ago.
Participants left comments like “Accumulating the experience for long years, I am still feeling that how difficult to make food is, and how important to have harmonious relation with the nature is. ” “I identified so many knowledges embedded in the harvesting works and I felt the tick accumulations of knowledge for long years.”
In the rice paddies in Tochikubo village, Minami-Uonuma, Niigata, which is the heartland of famous Koshi-Hikari-Rice, ears of rice are getting ripped. With less sun shines since mid-August, the progress is bit late but rice paddies are now having beautiful yellowish color. We will conduct harvesting workshop on 13-14 Oct.
Program Fee including lunch on day 2 and insurance; 5,000 JPY. Student discount, 50%; Children under 6 years old, lunch fee and insurance only. Gathering spot; JR Shiozawa Station of Joetsu Line Accommodations; Local Inn, dormitory rooms male/female separated; 7.500 JPY including dinner/breakfast Compliment; 2 kg of harvested rice after sun-dried process.
