Shinryu Elementary School 5th Graders "Rice Farming and Threshing Experience" The Soulful Story of "Sunflower Rice" Woven Through the Cycle of Life and High Technology

October 7, 2025
Feature Articles, Shinryu Elementary School
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Tuesday, October 7, 2025

On Tuesday, September 30th, fifth graders from Shinryu Elementary School experienced the "story of the soul" of rice grown with love. They learned about the process, from threshing and hulling to high-tech color sorting machines and low-temperature storage, which is filled with the producers' "heart of compassion" and "spirit of harmony." They saw the passion of farmers embodied in each grain of rice and the "bonds of community" that protect food safety and security throughout the region and connect it to the future. This will serve as a guidepost for a spiritually rich society that goes beyond convenience and rationality.

table of contents

1 Nurturing the "spirit of harmony" throughout the community: rice farming experience and the pursuit of safety
- 1.1 Threshing and husking experience: A moment to feel the blessings of life
- 1.2 Brown rice quality inspection: Proof of invisible efforts and "sincerity"
2 High-tech support for "kindness": Behind the scenes of sorting and storage
- 2.1 Color sorter: technology and dedication in pursuit of perfection
- 2.2 Cold storage warehouse: Connecting the "spirit of harmony" to the future
3 An inspiring finale: The greatness of rice and words of gratitude
4 YouTube videos
5 Other photos
6 Related articles
- - 6.2.1 FY2025
  - 6.2.2 FY2024

Nurturing the "spirit of harmony" throughout the community: rice farming experience and the pursuit of safety

It was Tuesday, September 30th, three weeks after the rice farming experience (Tuesday, September 9th) where the fifth graders at Shinryu Elementary School harvested rice and hung it on racks as part of their comprehensive learning class.
Six students experienced threshing and hulling rice at the Hokuryu Town Brown Rice Bulk Preparation, Collection and Shipping Facility of the JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch.

After the experience, the participants were given a tour of the automatic bagging machine, the low-temperature storage warehouse, and the color sorting machine in the collection and shipping facility.
I had many valuable experiences, experiencing the passion of the people who support rice farming and the latest technology.

The students were warmly welcomed and given a detailed explanation of the facilities and the work to be done.
Yuji Takeda, Section Chief, Agricultural Management Division, JA Kitasorachi Hokuryu Branch.

"Thank you for your support," he greeted cheerfully!
The feeling of gratitude already fills the place with a warm atmosphere.

Mr. Akimitsu Takada giving an explanation

"Thank you for your support" is the greeting!

Threshing and husking experience: A moment to feel the blessings of life

The students carry the rice bundles one by one, which are loaded onto a light truck.
With assistance from Takada, each participant experienced threshing using a machine.

After threshing, remove any trash and branches...

It was a moment when we realized that this was rice we had grown, and we felt the cycle of life as rice transformed into rice grains and then brown rice.

Brown rice quality inspection: Proof of invisible efforts and "sincerity"

After threshing and hulling, the rice is inspected for quality in the inspection room.
It was Section Chief Takeda who gave the students a thorough and detailed explanation.
The inspection items are wide-ranging, including the percentage of whole grains, moisture content, protein content, cracked grain rate, and green immature rate.

The process of inspecting rice quality is not just a simple task.
It is a testament to the sincerity of the farmers, scientifically proving their love and strong compassion for their products, as well as their desire to provide safe and reliable products to consumers.

High-tech support for "kindness": Behind the scenes of sorting and storage

The various information obtained during the inspection is connected via optical fiber, processed by computer, and strictly managed.
After inspecting the rice quality, the students were given a tour of the facility.

Color sorter: technology and dedication in pursuit of perfection

The color sorter shines light onto the brown rice and perfectly sorts and removes foreign matter such as colored grains, immature grains, damaged grains, dead rice, broken grains, stones, glass, plastic, and metal fragments.

Behind this precision technology lies the deep compassion of the people of Hokuryu, who believe that "not even a single grain of impure grain should be delivered to our customers."

The selected rice is placed in a preparation tank and then packaged using an automatic bagging machine.
Watching the machine known as a robot palletizer effortlessly lift 30kg bags of rice and neatly arrange them gave me a glimpse into the possibilities of the future of agriculture.

Rice bags being lifted and processed by a machine

Cold storage warehouse: Connecting the "spirit of harmony" to the future

We visited a cold storage warehouse where bags of rice were stacked up.
Storing rice at low temperatures helps prevent it from becoming stale (deteriorating in quality).
This is a promise from producers to consumers that transcends time: "We will carefully store your produce in its delicious condition until the next harvest."

A cold storage facility with stacks of rice bags

The sight of forklifts stacking flexible container boxes of rice is powerful and reassuring.

A forklift stacking flexible container boxes of rice

An inspiring finale: The greatness of rice and words of gratitude

After all the explanations were finished, Akimitsu Takada gave his final greetings.
The students expressed their gratitude enthusiastically, saying, "Thank you very much!"

The students, who experienced the entire process of growing rice from start to finish, realized the greatness of rice!
This is the finest Hokuryu rice, carefully inspected and stored at low temperatures to ensure safety and peace of mind!

With boundless love, gratitude and prayers, we offer "Hokuryu Sunflower Rice," rice grown with love and care using reduced pesticides.

The finest rice from Hokuryu Town, where the spirit of rice shines!!!

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