Explore everyday life in Japan
Toward the end of August, the rice kernels in Japan begin to change from green to yellow, causing the rice fields to take on a soft yellowish-green color.
Then in September, the color of the rice suddenly deepens to a rich golden hue, which causes the countryside to appear as if it has been covered by a golden blanket. In the evenings, when the sun’s rays shine across the fields at a low angle, they sometimes appear to be lit by fireflies.
This season, if you can call it a season, only lasts two to three weeks. Almost as soon as it begins, farmers take to their fields with combine harvesters and, one small paddy at a time, the fields begin to fall. Just like that, these unblemished blankets of golden rice become progressively spotted and checkered until finally they are nothing more than muddy, barren fields marked with the peculiar triangular patterns that harvesters leave behind.
I call this an in-between season, a short period of time, unique in its own right, that marks the transition from summer to autumn. It is a time when the days are still hot and summer-like, but the nights are cool and the ceaseless songs of crickets and frogs take on a slightly different tone. It is a time when the days still feel long, yet are noticeably shorter, and the air sometimes has a very delicate softness to it. It is a time that is no longer summer, and yet, not quite autumn.
It is harvest season.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.