After rice planting
Green rice stalks in the summer
Golden rice stalks in the fall
Rice (kome) is the staple food of Japan. Taue (rice plant) is usually planted all over Japan from May to mid-June in tambo (rice fields), although this varies from region to region. For example, in warmer regions, it is planted in late March. In the past, farmers planted rice seedlings by hand and it was quite hard work. From about 50 years ago, many farmers began using rice-planting machines. It is normal to grow rice seedlings with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Some farmers grow them in organic cultivation or organic pesticide cultivation, which is one farming method to keep the domestic ducks which eat pests and weeds in the rice fields. However, the price of organic rice is higher. Rice stalks are green in the summer, and, in the fall, turn golden when the rice is harvested.