A crop so important to the country that at one point it was used as money.
Most foreigners in Japan love the big city, be it Osaka or Tokyo. Me—I love the countryside in Japan. It is quiet, peaceful, and it also feels more like my image of Japan, whereas the big city sometimes feels just a little too much like America for me.
While they do grow other crops, rice is the main one you will see if you venture out of the city. There is something pleasant about walking nearby the rice fields, especially when the rice starts to get taller and all the plants sway back and forth with the gentle breeze.
Saying it was used as money is pushing things a bit, but it is also somewhat true. Back in the day feudal lords (Daimyo) collected almost all the rice produced by the peasants, then in turn sent most of that rice to the Shogun as tax. Samurai received rice in exchange for their service.
This photo was taken a few days before harvest time.
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Don't miss the other great photos in the Beautiful Japan photo series!
#1–10 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #1
#11–20 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #2
#21–30 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #3
#31–40 — Beautiful Japan, Collection #4
#41 — Cherry Blizzard
#42 — House in the Sky
#43 — Explosive Clouds
#44 — Angry Sky
#45 — Autumn Reflections
#46 — Bliss of the Blossoms
#47 — Flight of the Birds
#48 — Hiding in the Crowd
#49 — The Laughing Buddha
#50 — This Old House
#51 — Remember the Rice Fields Where We Once Played
#52 — Collecting God's Money
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I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.
 | David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time. |