At Home in Uonuma

How to Hazagake

2009-10-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hazagake (or hazakake, or hasakake), a way to dry rice under the sun, has become our company's yearly event in autumn. "Haza" (or hasa) means the equipment with which the reaped rice is hung over and "gake" (or kake) derives from the verb "kakeru," or "hung" in English.

Hazagake had been popular until 1970. The scenery of hazagake, known as pastoral autumn landscape, could be seen all over Japan. After 1970, however, hazagake was replaced by the more efficient way of rice production; harvesting with a "combine" and drying with a machine.

To produce hazagake rice, the rice should be reaped with stems and bundled. We use the "binder," a special machine for reaping and bundling. A combine is not usable because it functions only to reap and threshed the rice simultaneously.

A Binder is useful but needs tips for operation.

The silver poles are contemporary Hazas

From our experience, the biggest problem with hazagake is machine troubles. The special machine "binder" often doesn't work. Engine troubles, sudden freeze in mud, or malfunction of binding mechanism is not rare. Smetimes 3 or 4 hours are spent to tackle with such troubles, when completing one rice paddy of hazagake normally takes a day with 5 people (for us). If the rice falls down because of rain and wind, it should be raised for the machine to work efficiently.

Sometimes binders are not useful because of troubles

When a binder doesn't work, we produce hazagake by hand. The rice is reaped with sickles and bundled one by one. This is the traditional style of race harvesting. While the binder operation needs sufficient skill and hands, hazagake by hand takes much more time and human power.

Make bundles using straws.

After about 7 to 10 days, hazagaked rice is threshed with a combine harvester. The whole process of hazagake therefore takes 8 to 11 days. This process is reduced to only a day if combine harvester is used from the beginning.

Rice Harvesting Season

2009-10-05T04:08:00.000-07:00

Golden rice paddies and rice harvesting is distinctive autumn scenery in Uonuma. From the mid-September to early October, farmers work busily to harvest their rice, completing one rice paddies after another. The golden landscape is gradually turned to right brown.

Most farmers today use special machines called "combine" to reap and thresh rice immediately and dry rice with a special drying machine in a few hours. This is the typical harvesting scene.

a combine harvester doesn't need lots of human power

Jiyujin's staff, however, do not use such machines. We've been working with farmers and trying farming in a more traditional and natural way. We reap rice with old-fashioned machines called "binder," which are used to reap rice and make sheaves at one time, and hung the sheaves under the sun.

a binder needs much energy compared to a combine

Like car driving, "combines" doesn't need much human power. "Binders," on the other hand, should be carried and operated by hand. Operating binders looks easy and efficient compared to reaping and bundling rice by hand, but the operation in reality requires much energy and is as tough as hand work for us young girls!!

To be continued...

Weeding

2009-07-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

The rice is growing in Jiyuden, where barnyard grass too is growing rapidly.

Weeding has become our routine now. We go into the rice field and weed by hand.

The work is progressing slowly but steadily.

The ridges are filled with barnyard grass

In spring, we got 15 mallards, helpful partners for weeding in our weed-killer-free rice field.
Mallards eat vermin and get the water muddy, for weeds not to grow rapidly.

But 2 mallards died soon after they flew into the rice field, and some escaped, some escaped again, and the number has reduced to zero the other day.. (We are still in search of them)

Runaway mallards

We will continue weeding until mid-August.

Rice Planting

2009-06-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

We planted rice in our rice-field "Jiyu-den".

In recent years, we've been trying to grow organic rice by ourselves.
The farming is basically carried out in traditional agricultural ways, such as planting rice by hand, removing weeds without agrichemicals, drying harvested rice under the sun.

The first step of planting rice is to set the field ready for farming.
Plowing makes the soil soft and easy to absorb water.

Then pour water into the field.

Before planting by hand, we rolled a special tool on the field.
It marks lines on the muddy field and we can plant rice straight following these lines, though it doesn't work when there is too much water...

pastoral landscape..

Planting was very hard without a planting machine.
It took two days to complete two small rice fields, which may be reduced to just 3 to 4 hours with a machine.

Planting 3 to5 lines at one time.

Finally put a net around one of the fields, where we will feed wild ducks.

Straight? Almost.

to be continued...

The Latest Issue

2009-06-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Jiyujin "the Basics of Vegetables" is on sale now.

This is all about vegetables...vegetable menus from Michelin starred restaurants (Les Creations de NARISAWA, Daigo, Eventail, Hishinuma, Hei Fung Terrace, Splendido, Hermitage de Tamura), medical benefits of eating vegetables, home-cultivation of organic vegetables, vegetable Q&As, anti-cancer potency of vegetables, and so on.

What we recommend is "the Perfect Guide of Vegetable Restaurants," which introduces 161 restaurants in Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, with detailed information about vegetables used in dishes and the usage of chemical seasoning. A guide for healthy veggie life!

2009-04-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

Last week we visited a backcountry route of Tsugaike to report for the SPRAY, Jiyujin's separate volume.

This area is a part of the Tsugaike nature park, where spread marsh and wild flowers in summer.

The word "marsh" sounds as if the land is rather flat and easy to ski, but this area is in the middle of what we call the Japan's Northern Alps and some parts are very steep and exciting for skiing.

We headed for Tenbo (observation) marsh deep into the nature park.

The snow condition was not perfect. Some parts were very slippery but some parts were not, and even sturdy participants tumbled many times. But such a lot of snow at this time in April was amazing.

A brace of gouse!

Reported by Hirasawa

Spring News

2009-04-09T03:45:00.000-07:00

It's been getting wamer and wamer these days.

Fukinoto

Spring vegetables and flowers are shooting up.
Fukinoto is one of the most popular spring vegetables in Japan.
It is a sort of edible wild plants, which spontaneously appears on fields in spring.
We cook Fukinoto with Miso (soybean paste) or deep-fry and enjoy the spring taste!

Katakuri (left) / Koshinokobaimo (right)

Katakuri is a kind of wild flowers, well known as spring flower in Uonuma region. When snows gone, it comes out through dry grasses with pretty dawncast appearance.

Snow's gone

2009-04-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

We didn't have much snowfall this winter.
In January and February, we had almost half the amount of snowfall we usually have.
We've got some snow in late March (and I crashed my car...)
But it's gone now.

Although the mountain peak of Hakkaisan is still snow-capped (it will be white till early summer), the rice paddy below is ready for farming.

Latest issue is on sale now

2009-03-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Jiyujin is on sale now.
This issue features fish. Good fish restaurants at fish markets and fishing ports, Tsukiji, cooking recipes etc.

Nearly 40 restaurants are featured from Hokkaido to Kyushu, which will be helpful for one day trip.

Tsukiji, the biggest fish market in Japan, is introduced with detailed information for visitors.
12 brokers who could (possibly) sell individuals small portion of fish, 13 sushi restaurants and other good fish restaurants favoured by frequenters, calender of seasonal fishes...

The cooking recipes part is useful when we get fresh fish from the market. Preliminaries, how to choose cooking tools and seasonings, fish recipes are taught by Michelin starred restaurants chefs.

These recipes seem professional but easy! Good for beginners!

A Visit to Ninja Towns

2009-02-10T01:20:00.000-08:00

Ninjas are legendary warriors in Japan, who were skilled in various extraordinary martial arts.

Although many of real ninja's legends are not known even to the Japanese, the image of their contumes and performance has now become very popular not only within Japan.

Personally, the phrase of "ninja" just reminded me of "Hattori-kun", an anime character, and I did not really know about real (?) ninja, before we picked up this theme in our latest issue...

In the new issue of Jiyujin,Iga and Koka, the birth places of two major ninja schools, are visited to learn about the secrets of ninja; the history, their weapons and tools, tactics, costumes, trics of the ninja house and so on.

Introducing ninja weapons and tools

The special feature is the ninja tactics (nin-jutsu).
Here, a profesional ninja performer Mr. Kuroi (a disciple of the 21st master of Koka-school Ban Sect) introduces some of the basic tactics.

The introduction of ninja tactics(left) and trics of ninja house(right)

It could be useful sometime in my daily life!!?

January Snow Report

2009-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

This winter's snowfall in Uonuma is far less than that of average years.

We normally have more than 1 meter depth of snow in January, but the depth is about 30 centimeters now!

It's good for daily life as we don't have to care about cleaning snows on the roads, which helps us to drive safely, and we don't need so much heatings.

But actually it's a little dissapointing, especially for winter sports lovers...

Jan 5
We had some snow during the new year's holiday, but

Jan 8
it melted next week.

Jan 11
It snowed a little again.
Enough snow on mountains for skiing.

Jan 12
Now roads are covered with snow.

Jan 19
It's gone again.

Jan 27
Sunny!

Jan 28
Now the snow is about 30 centimeter deep (or less).

New issue is coming soon!

2009-01-21T06:13:00.000-08:00

We just completed the new issue of Jiyujin!
For a while, I was occupied by editing, too busy to blog (bad excuse, I'm sorry...)

The coming issue focuses on historic towns in Japan. From Hokkaido to Kyushu, old castles to ancient roads... Lots of fascinating places are visited.

What I like the best is Ninja's town; Iga and Koka...
But the detail will be next time.

It will be on sale on Jan 26!

Santa Claus has come!

2008-12-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday some Santa Clauses came to our office.

A little bit hasty, though.

I chose the one with very cute strawberry cap, topped with whipped cream, whose body was filled with strawberry flavoured pudding (right).

Wish you happy Christmas!

Hot Springs Encyclopedia

2008-12-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

After the first snow, we had little snow and the blanket of snow has gone.

But still it's winter and I can't be away from the heating... A good season to visit hot springs now.

The other day Jiyujin's extra number, Onsen Zukan (Hot Springs Encyclopedia) , was released.
This issue features "Nigoriyu," a type of hot springs with clundy colour.

"The Secrets of Cloudy Colours of Hot Springs"

There are great variety of hot springs in Japan.
Different smells, tastes, temperatures, benefits for the human body...
Colours, or visual effects, are also valued, as Japanese people enjoy hot springs by bathing.

The variety of colour is amazing.
White, brown, green, gray, blue, black.....
These waters are not trasparent but cloudy, whitish, mysterious colour.

Gray? Blue?
Colours often change day by day

I like blue ones. Isn't this colour like a mixture of the sky and clouds?

Michelin-starred chef's choice

2008-11-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

Last spring we had a guest from Michelin's three-starred Japanese restaurant "Kanda."
Chef Hiroyuki Kanda visited Uonuma, seeking for "the best rice in Japan" to serve in his restaurant.

Chef Kanda studies in the field

Uonuma is well-known for good Koshihikari rice. But the area which produces "Uonuma Koshihikari" is vast and the tasted of rice differs by fields because of natural conditions.

He met three producers we recommended, visited their rice fields, and tasted the rice. Consequently, he chose the rice produced by Mr. Kiyoshi Suzuki (Kiyoshi-san), saying

"It was moving. The taste was just like Kiyoshi-san, clear, straight..."

Kiyoshi-san with his wife

Last week, we had a good news from the Michelin. Kanda won the Michelin's three stars this year again.

Congratulations!!

Kanda in Moto-Azabu, Tokyo

First Ride of the Season!

2008-11-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Ski and snowboard season has begun around Uonuma. Kagura ski resort in Yuzawa (next to Minami Uonuma City) opened on 21 November. Our company's ski and snowboard lovers (team?) went for the first ride of this year. Although not much snow left at the bottom of the mountain, there was enogh upper on the ski slope.

around the parking lot

on the ski slope

Another mission of this day was to distribute fliers of coming ski and snowbord events. We just published back country ski and snowboard magazine "Spray" and are planning to hold a series of workshops about funs and dangers of a backcountry ride. (language : Japanese only)

fliers of the events

Thanks to people who were so nice to stop by and receive these fliers!
See you at the workshops!

Reported by Hirasawa

Winter has come!!

2008-11-20T04:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we had the first snow in Uonuma.

Only the mountain-top of Mt. Hakkai was snow capped in the morning

It was sunny in the morning, though the cold north wind was getting stronger.
The weather suddenly changed in the afternoon.

Rain? Sleet? Sleety rain continues

It was rain at first, then sleet, and finally white snow continuously falling on the town!

In front of the office

After one night of snow... The town was covered with a blanket of snow.

Autumn Photo Gallery

2008-11-02T01:16:00.000-07:00

Uonuma has distinctive four seasons, in which I like autumn the best.

In early autumn, rice fields turn to gold and farmers start harvesting rice. Sometimes we can see unique landscape of "Hazagake" (traditional way to dry rice under the sun)

When harvesting ends, leaves starts to turn to red and yellow from the mountaintops, gradually down toward village. Perssimon trees with ripe orange fruits are heart-warming.

But Uonuma's autumn is very short.

Mountaintops will soon be covered with snow. The first snow last year was in November...
Soon there will be white snow all around.

Harvesting Rice

2008-10-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

The end of october, the end of the month of farmwork...

These four weeks, we harvested six middle-sized rice fields.

It's been three years since Jiyujin has started rice farming in Minami Uonuma.
Year by year, we made new attempts to grow organic and delicious Koshihikari rice with little agrichemicals. We've been trying traditional harvesting style of "Hazagake." Reaping rice, making sheaves and drying them naturally under the sun.

Of course, sundried rice tastes better than machine-dried rice.

Some of our Koshihikari rice (precisely, the rice which we helped for sundrying) is on sale at Jiyujin Club (Japanese only).

To begin with

2008-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

I guess not many people (or maybe none?) outside Japan know this small Japanese town.

Uonuma, among Japanese, is famous for the rice farming of "Koshihikari" brand, but thought to be that's all. Even the Japanese don't really know about the beauty of the pastral landscape and the unique country lifestyle in this region.

Uonuma has a lot more. Seasonal country landscape, fresh air, organic food, lots of green, lots of snow...

Little by little, I would like to introduce big and small excitments in this town.

Uonuma is located in the middle of Honshu island (the biggest one) , in the southeastern area of Niigata prefecture. This area is known for the heavy snow fall, which is accumulated up to three meters in winter!

Obviously, it is a place of great fan for skiers and snowborders (and for us!)