Sarah's English Writing Blog: 7月 2012

What scenes are included in Japanese original scene?
One of them is the terraced paddy field, I think.
Rice has been grown as the staple food at many parts of Japan from the remote past.

Terraced paddy field

Rice planting was already over

Rice field expanded in plains. But villagers don't have large plains have cultivated the side of the mountains like the steps and irrigated them and made rice paddies. We can see the beauty as the fruit of their pains in the rice terraced field. There is good relationship between nature and human there.

Misty rice terraced field. It was rain.

Here, the rice terraced field in Asuka village( 明日香村）I visited is about one hour from Nara city by train to south. Since it's rainy season now, greens were soft and water for irrigation run fast ,plenty. The rice planting was over,so young green leaves of rice were depicting lots of beautiful lines in the paddy field with plenty water. When farmers plant sprouts of rice by their hands one by one not by machines , these beautiful lines are made, I heard.
Something moved and hid under the mud hurriedly as often as I stepped on the ridge. Fixing in the mud, I found they were tadpoles.

Farmers also have to do many things from now to get rice in Autumn. Mowing, management of water,protecting from harmful insects or typhoons etc. I don't know well about farmer's work but thank you farmers. I like new rice in autumn very much.

Sunflowers beside the terraced paddy field

Thistle at the ridge

I don't know the name of this flower

There is an ancient tomb near there. It takes about 20minutes walk from this rice terraced field.
This tomb is said to be the tomb of Sogano Umako(蘇我馬子）. He was in the center of politics for 54years in Asuka period( A.D.593~A.D.694) but since his grandson was assassinated in the coupdetat, this family was getting overthrown.
So here Asuka village is around a capital in those days. Many remains scatter around there.