Shinryu Elementary School 5th Graders "Rice Cultivation Experience and Growth Observation" Elementary school students from Hokuryu Town learn from a professional! The secret to delicious rice: "Water Management" (Takada Farm)

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Fifth graders from Shinryu Elementary School observe the growth of rice

On Wednesday, July 9th, starting just after 10am, six fifth graders from Hokuryu Town Shinryu Elementary School (Principal Kamata Sadao) observed the growth of rice at Takada Co., Ltd.'s farm in Mitani, Hokuryu Town.

We had Mr. Kurashita Keisuke from the Kita-Sorachi Branch of the Sorachi Agricultural Improvement and Extension Center visit us and talk to us about water management for rice paddies.

Learn from the experts! How to grow delicious rice

A talk by Mr. Keisuke Kurashita of the Sorachi Agricultural Improvement and Extension Center, Kita-Sorachi Branch

"Hello, this is Kurashita from the Sorachi Agricultural Improvement and Extension Center. In order to produce delicious rice, water management after planting is very important.

Rice requires management by increasing or decreasing the water depth depending on the growth period.

The period immediately after planting: "establishment period"

Just planted rice plants are still weak, just like human children. On sunny days, water them only a little, just to the depth of their ankles.

This will allow the seedlings to take root firmly in the soil and get used to their new location. On cold or windy days, especially in early spring, water deeply to keep the seedlings warm and protect them from the cold and wind.

By managing the soil in accordance with the weather in this way, the seedlings will be able to grow healthy roots.

The period when stems increase: "tillering period"

After a while, the plant will enter the "tillering period" and new stems will start to grow. During this period, if you keep the water shallow enough to cover the soles of your feet, it will be an environment that encourages branching.

Drying out rice fields: "Nakaboshi"

When you enter a rice field during the tillering period, you will notice bubbles (gas) coming out of the soil. This is bad air for the rice.

To allow fresh air to flow through, the rice paddies are drained and dried for a period known as "mid-season drying." This process is usually done for about a week, until the soil begins to crack slightly. This prevents the stems from multiplying too much, and encourages the roots to grow deep into the soil, resulting in stronger rice plants.

The period when baby rice plants are formed: "panicle formation period"

The "panicle formation stage" is an important time when baby rice ears (young ears) emerge. If you pull out a stalk and split the longest stalk lengthwise with a cutter, you can see the small young ears inside. These will grow and eventually emerge as ears.

"In Hokkaido, the weather can be cold at this time of year, which can cause risk of cold damage. If the water is cold, the baby ears will not grow well, so we make the water as deep as possible to help them grow. Managing the water depth to match the growth of the young ears is the most important point in growing delicious rice," said Kurashita.

The students listened attentively to what the experts had to say.

Farmer Takada talks about this year's rice and agriculture

A story from Mr. Akimitsu Takada of Takada Co., Ltd.

"Simply put, when you take a bath, you feel warm, right? The same goes for rice, which also gets warm when it takes a bath. We add water to the rice so that it can withstand the cold.

The most important thing when growing rice is water management.

It's been warm this year, so I think the ears will start to appear in about a week.

It's been warm lately, so the "first ears" are coming up, much earlier than usual. Once the ears appear, the flowers bloom all at once.

We expect the rice harvest to begin as soon as September begins," said Takada.

Q&A with students

The students asked questions one after another, and a friendly conversation took place.

In response to students' questions, Takada spoke about the agricultural situation from various perspectives, including the need for measures to combat climate change and high temperatures in Hokkaido, the challenges of profitability in agricultural management and the difficulty of determining prices, the rental and usage status of agricultural machinery, and the differences in agricultural scale and machinery use between Hokkaido and Honshu.

With gratitude

The students expressed their gratitude with a loud "Thank you!" and at the end, they all took a commemorative photo! After that, they returned to Shinryu Elementary School by bus.

The students quietly watched as the rice they planted grew healthily, learning about the process.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the farmers who lovingly cultivate rice, and our boundless love, gratitude, and prayers for the delicious, golden rice that ripens in the fall.

YouTube videos

Other photos

Click here for 121 photos from the 2025 "Rice Farming Experience" for 5th graders at Shinryu Elementary School, including rice planting, observation, and harvesting (Takada Field) >>

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◇ Photography, editing, and website management: Noboru Terauchi Writer: Ikuko Terauchi