What I Learned from the Weeding Event

The “Matsudai Terraced Rice Fields Bank” is a project that recruits owners (foster parents) from across the country to help preserve the terraced Rice Fields in the Matsudai area. We hold farming events three times a year to give our foster parents the opportunity to visit the local Rice Fields. Unfortunately, we were unable to hold the rice-planting event this year, but we were able to hold a weed-cutting event on August 1.

I moved here this spring to join FC Echigo-Tsumari, where I play soccer while also participating in farm work as a member of the Matsudai Rice Fields Bank. Since this was my first time taking part in a weeding event, it was a valuable experience to work alongside the adoptive parents and spend time getting to know them. I also found my interactions with the “shifu” to be very inspiring. The “shifu” are local farmers who have been teaching us about agriculture for over 20 years.In this post, I’ll write about my interactions with the “Shifu” during this grass-cutting event—an experience that left a particularly strong impression on me.

On the day of the weed-cutting event, the weather was terrible—it rained in the morning, but by the afternoon the rain had stopped and it became sweltering hot, making it unbearable just to be outside. Despite this, the master farmers gathered early in the morning. They taught us how to use sickles, shared stories about various farming tasks, and worked alongside us, sweating profusely as we cut the weeds. Watching them, I wondered what motivated them to come to this event.

So, I spoke with Master Farmer Tatsuo Sato.Mr. Sato explained that rather than simply instructing participants on how to do the work, he wanted to interact with the host families as a “farmer” and help them experience both the joys and the hardships of farming. He didn’t want them to just go through the motions and leave saying, “That was fun.” Instead, he wanted them to return home having felt the unique emotions that come from farming—the grueling, mud-covered work that is the very essence of the craft. He wanted them to put their hearts into the work so that the rice would grow properly. Behind this was the spirit of a farmer who wanted participants to understand—not just through the fun, but through the hard work—the amazing nature and importance of how rice is produced.

Tatsuo also shared that, through events like those organized by the The Rice Fields Bank, he hopes to preserve the area’s beautiful The Rice Fields—which are a joy to behold, look stunning in photos, and produce delicious rice. At the same time, he noted that while the current reality is a shortage of manpower, he finds it both rewarding and enjoyable to organize events where the The Rice Fields Bank and the local community can collaborate to expand the region’s potential.He expressed his desire to further promote the value of a satoyama lifestyle that makes the most of nature—one that doesn’t make the region feel at a disadvantage compared to urban areas. Tatsuo said he hopes the Rice Fields Bank will serve as a bridge to achieve this, and he is willing to provide as much support as possible to help make it happen.

Hearing these stories has made me strongly determined that we at the Rice Fields Bank should do what we can, and that local residents should do what they can, so that by working together and cooperating, we can make this a better project. There are various ways to achieve this—starting with events like this one, and including art, agriculture, and women’s soccer—and I feel that we should collaborate with this town and community from a variety of perspectives to build our town together.A rice harvest event will be held in September. Having experienced this grass-cutting event, I am preparing for the rice harvest with a fresh perspective. I’m looking forward to working alongside all of our foster families and mentors!

NPO Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Collaborative Organization / FC Echigo-Tsumari
Kisa Mori