“I Want to Bring Back the Rice Fields” Cultivating Unused Land and Revitalizing Rice Farms that Supported an Island

“I Want to Bring Back the Rice Fields” Cultivating Unused Land and Revitalizing Rice Farms that Supported an Island

Toshiyuki Shimoji hard at work harvesting his crop using a combine harvester. (July 12, a field in Tokashiki)


July 18, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Hideaki Yoneda

 

Tokashiki – The first rice harvest began in early July in Tokashiki. Currently, there are only three rice-farming households in the town that are growing rice for their own use. One farmer, Shigemitsu Arakaki, 84, says, “Because of the long rainy season, the harvest is starting later than last year, but it looks alright.”

 

Until twenty years ago, there were more than 40 commercial farms in the town, with around six hectares of land used as rice fields. Between the first and second harvests, the farmers would produce more than 40 tons of rice annually, enough rice for themselves and to sell. However, with Japan’s aging population and not enough people to take over the work, the number of farmers is dwindling. The fields have fallen into disrepair, overrun with weeds.

 

The three farming households in Tokashiki now grow rice on about 4000 square meters of land. Masaru Chinen, 64, and

Arakaki grew up in Tokashiki. Ryuji Sakata, 51, moved to Tokashiki from mainland Japan.

 

Although the farming population is shrinking, about one year ago, Arakaki’s son-in-law Toshiyuki Shimoji, 61. moved back to the island after becoming interested in farming there. He made the decision to grow rice and succeed his father-in-law. He rented a field that was unused, and has vowed to revitalize farming on the island. For a town that was struggling with finding people to take over the farms, Shimoji and those like him are a source of hope.

 

Arakaki says, “Rice has supported life on this island for a long time. I want to restore all of the overgrown rice fields and show younger generations the appeal of rice farming.” Shimoji says, “Growing rice is hard, but there’s joy in making something. I want to bring back the rice fields so that when you look out over the town, you see the fields spread out before you.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)

 

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