September, 2009

Some more pictures of tosai harvested by Shintaro today.

Some great patterns coming out this year.

For those that don't know, I'm presently in the UK hence the lack of updates recently.

I shall be back in Japan on 30th September suitably refreshed and recharged and brim full of anticipation for harvests and shows in October.

Before the harvests and shows start you'll be able to download issue 2 of Niigata Nishikigoi Digest.

Tomorrow I'll be publishing a sneaky preview of issue 2 content so don't forget to check back.

As detailed over the last few days, and will be covered in much more detail in issue 2 of Niigata Nishikigoi Digest, Torazo's tosai harvests have gone pretty well with pleasing, at this early stage, results.

Isa started harvesting today, as will have others.  The weather however was not conducive to outside work, it's been grey and raining all day.

Unless someone can tell me to the contrary, getting wet doesn't really bother Nishikigoi, therefor harvest can continue unaffected.

However, for one of the other major products of the area it's a different story. 

In Japan, in truth, Niigata is probably more famous for it's rice production, Koshi Hikari rice being considered the finest in all of Japan.  Ever since the beginning of September I've been anticipating the start of the harvests, yet it never seemed to happen.

Occasionaly i'd see a little hanging by the road side to dry but far from a full scale harvest.

I popped into Shintaro yesterday to say goodbye, as always we discussed all manner of things, including the rice harvest.  The weather it seems is playing havoc, rain and wind are not good for the rice that's awaiting harvest nor the harvested rice.

The following pictures were actually all taken yesterday, i just didn't get around to posting.

This was the rice fields as you leave Uragara towards Ojiya, no sign of harvest but all rice lying flat.

In Yamanaka this rice has been out for what seems like a number of days, getting topped up every day or so.  As you can see yesterday was a glorious day.

A close up of the drying rice.

Rice is not the only crop that's due for harvest.  Buckwheat, used to make soba noodles, is also due for harvest soon.  The small field below was pictured in Yamakoshi opposite the Nagashima filling station.  How it's affected by the rain I've no idea.

As mentioned the other day Maruju are presently rejuvenating one of their concrete ponds to bring the filtration up to date - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/522.

I popped in today to say goodbye, see how they were getting on, and wish them luck for their tosai harvests which will start on the 20th.

As you can see the internal walls of the old filter have now been removed.

One of the family friends who is helping with the job was busily cutting the holes through the solid concrete wall to take the new bottom drain feeds.

Two of them had already been completed.

It took 10 minutes for the cutter to slice through the wall which is around 8" think, you can see it coming through below.

The resulting 'plug' of concrete below.  I've gotta say, I was impressed!

Rebar is great stuff, until you need to break the concrete up! Flying sparks make for pretty nice pictures though.

With the harvests just around the corner I suspect that things will slow with construction and when I return at the beginning of October will be able to show more of how the pond will work.