Monday, October 7, 2024
Two weeks have passed since the fifth graders at Shinryu Elementary School experienced rice farming by harvesting and hanging rice as part of their comprehensive learning class.
- 1 Rice threshing and hulling experience
- 2 Brown rice quality inspection
- 3 Tour of the color sorting machine, bagging, and cold storage warehouse
- 4 Packed in bags by an automatic bag feeder
- 5 Cold storage warehouse
- 6 Commemorative photo
- 7 Shinryu Elementary School website (photograph and article by Principal Sadao Kamata)
- 8 YouTube videos
- 9 Other photos
- 10 Related articles
Rice threshing and hulling experience
On Thursday, October 3rd, 11 fifth grade students from Shinryu Elementary School experienced threshing and hulling naturally dried rice (moisture content approximately 15%) at the Hokuryu Town Brown Rice Bulk Preparation, Collection and Shipping Facility of the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch.
After the experience, the students had a chance to see the color sorting machine, automatic bagging machine, and low-temperature storage warehouse in the collection and shipping facility, where they gained many valuable experiences.
Transporting the racked rice bundles to the facility
The rice bundles that were hung in the gymnasium of Shinryu Elementary School were transported by Akimitsu Takada in a light truck to the JA Kitasorachi Kitaryu Branch collection and shipping facility.

Test operation of seed rice thresher and rice huller
First, they test-operated the seed rice thresher and rice huller. After checking it out, each student took a bundle of rice and tried threshing it, with Takada assisting them.
Threshing challenge one by one!
Threshing rice by slowly turning the bundles
Line up and experience it again and again!
Threshed rice seeds
Hulled rice seeds
Brown rice quality inspection
After threshing and hulling, the rice is inspected in the inspection room for quality (percentage of whole grains, moisture content, protein content, percentage of cracked grains, percentage of green immature grains, etc.).
Explanation from JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch Manager Kimitoshi Washio
Mr. Kimitoshi Washio, Branch Manager of JA Kitasorachi Kitaryu Branch, gave an explanation and commentary.
Students listened intently to the explanation and took photos with their tablets.
Tour of the color sorting machine, bagging, and cold storage warehouse
After inspecting the rice quality, we moved on to see the color sorting machine, bagging, and low-temperature storage warehouse.
Explanation by Mr. So Ozaki, Agricultural Division, JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch
Mr. Ozaki Takeshi of the Agriculture Division of the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch took time out of his busy schedule to receive the rice and gave us a detailed explanation.
The computer that controls the movement within the facility
Various information is connected via optical fiber and processed by computer for management.
Color sorter
The color sorter shines light onto the brown rice to separate and remove foreign matter such as discolored grains, immature grains, damaged grains, dead rice, broken grains, stones, glass, plastic, and metal fragments.
"The color sorting machine separates and removes grains that are green, grains damaged by stink bugs, grains with black spots, and broken grains. The rice that flows through is detected by a camera, and poor-quality grains are bounced away by blowing air over them," explains Ozaki.
Cameras identify the grains and air is used to knock out any irregular grains.
Burnt/foreign matter main screen computer display
Removed non-standard rice grains
Packed in bags by an automatic bag feeder
The sorted rice is placed in a preparation tank and then packaged using an automatic bagging machine.
A machine called a robot palletizer easily lifts 30kg bags of rice and neatly arranges them.
Cold storage warehouse
Storing rice at low temperatures helps prevent it from becoming stale (deteriorating in quality).
Q&A
- Students:Where is the rice transported and sold?
- Ozaki-san：They are sent all over the country, including all over Hokkaido, Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, and as far away as Okinawa Umanchu Market.
- Students: How much rice is stored in this?
- Ozaki-sanThere are two ways to store rice: in 30kg bags and in 1-ton bags. The amount stored here changes depending on the situation. One pallet carried by forklift holds 1,680kg of rice, but there is so much stored that it is difficult to grasp the total amount.
- Students:When storing rice, do you use that forklift to stack and unload the rice bags?
- Ozaki-san：Yes, that's right. We stack the pallets by inserting and pulling out the forklift's claws into the sheet placed underneath. This requires very advanced maneuvering skills.
We had the opportunity to see the forklift in action.
Commemorative photo
We all took a commemorative photo in front of the impressive piles of stored rice bags!
The students of Shinryu Elementary School had a valuable hands-on experience of rice planting, harvesting, hanging, threshing, quality control by color sorting, and low-temperature storage.
Hokuryu Sunflower Rice is grown with love and care using reduced amounts of pesticides!
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we offer "Hokuryu Sunflower Rice," the finest rice that is carefully selected by computer for quality and lot size, and stored at low temperatures to ensure safety and peace of mind.
Shinryu Elementary School website (photograph and article by Principal Sadao Kamata)
YouTube videos
Other photos
Related articles
◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)
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