Fifth graders at Shinryu Elementary School "Rice Farming Experience" - Making and setting up scarecrows and observing the progress of rice cultivation (Takada Farm)

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Starting at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4th, 5th graders (9 students) from Shinryu Elementary School held a scarecrow-making event in the rice paddy field of Takada Co., Ltd. (Chairman: Takada Akimitsu) in Mitani, Hokuryu Town.

Scarecrows made by fifth graders at Shinryu Elementary School

The three scarecrows were made by fifth grade students at Shinryu Elementary School during a two-hour integrated studies class.

The Hokuryu Town Board of Education asked Shuichi Hirose (76), a local resident and expert at making scarecrows, to provide instruction on how to make them, which led to the project.

The three scarecrows are unique and cute, named "Kindergarten Child," "Angry Auntie," and "Bear."

Shinryu Elementary School Homepage

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 060827 5th grade general "Scarecrow making" ~ We invited local people to make scarecrows. We divided into three groups and made a total of three scarecrows. In September, we will set up the scarecrows at the site where we experienced rice planting. [Shinryu Elementary School Website]

Guidance from Shuichi Hirose

Fourteen years ago, in September 2010, the 3rd Scarecrow Festival was held at Ryusei Farm (Hokuryu Town). At the time, it was organized by Shuichi Hirose, representative director of Ryusei Farm Agricultural Cooperative (the Scarecrow Festival is no longer held).

Under the guidance of Shuichi Hirose, the students were divided into groups of four, and each group came up with a design, sewed clothes, and stuffed newspaper into a scarecrow.

The students came up with the scarecrow design based on the photo album they created for the "Scarecrow Festival" at the time!

"The most difficult thing about making the scarecrow was the amount of newspaper to stuff into it. I didn't know how much to stuff, so it was difficult to get the right amount of stuffing. It was my first time making clothes, but it was fun," said a student.

Scarecrow Festival 2010

Photo Album "Scarecrow Festival 2010"

Scarecrow installation

Foundation piling

Scarecrow nailed to the wall

Mr. Akimitsu Takada talks about the rice cultivation process

Akimitsu Takada spoke about the success of this year's rice crop and important things to consider when cultivating rice.

"This year's rice has a large number of grains per stalk, so there is no doubt that it will be a bumper crop.

The plant is about 10cm taller than last year. If it is taller it is more likely to fall over, but on the other hand, the taller it is, the longer the main ear will be and the more fruit it will produce.

This year, we have had regular rainfall, so the rice has absorbed plenty of moisture and is growing well. The color has turned a deep golden brown, so we can expect the grains to be regular."

Student Questions

"Do you do anything to make the rice taste better?"

Akimitsu Takada

"First of all, the amount of fertilizer. Fertilizer is made up of three elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), and the amount of nitrogen is particularly important as it can make or break growth. If the rice plants absorb the nitrogen that was added this year, it will produce delicious rice.

If there is any nitrogen remaining at this stage, the rice will still absorb it, which will affect the taste. It is important to ensure that the rice absorbs the fertilizer thoroughly.

"When rice paddies dry out, their ability to absorb nutrients increases, so it's important to dry them out and 'mid-season drainage'. And then there's 'water management,'" explains Takada.

drone flight

We were able to see the drone being piloted and flown over the rice fields right in front of us. The drone pilot was Toshiki Takada (CEO of Takada Co., Ltd.).

The students were engrossed in filming the video!!!

The event concluded with all the students expressing their gratitude, and they boarded the school bus with smiles on their faces, grateful for the valuable experience they had had, and headed off to school.

This was his first rice planting experience, and the golden, sacred ears of rice were lovingly cultivated...

The students poured their prayers and hard work into creating these scarecrows to protect the precious rice plants from damage caused by wild birds and animals, and we pour our boundless love, gratitude, and prayers into these scarecrows...

YouTube videos

Other photos

Click here for 100 photos of the 5th grade students at Shinryu Elementary School making and setting up scarecrows (Takada field) >>

Click here for 145 photos of the "Rice Farming Experience" for 5th graders at Shinryu Elementary School, from rice planting to observation to harvesting (Takada field) >>

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◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)