Agriculture

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Q1: Development of Agriculture

Since the Edo Period, the rice growing practices on the Tedori River Alluvial Fan have maintained a high level of technology, and have been leading rice cultivation technology in eastern Japan. In particular, major improvements were made in the Meiji and Taisho Eras.

In 1887 the arable land consolidation project was started, and carried out intermittently in each district until the end of the Taisho Era. During this time the construction of seven main water channels called “shichika yousui” began, and were completed in 1903. In terms of agricultural technology, advanced farming methods of the time were actively adopted, such as planting in straight rows, and the Ishikawa style of farming was established which involved shallow ploughing using horses, and growing rengaso – a plant similar to clover used to improve soil conditions. These methods were taught through the Matto Prefectural Agricultural School, heavily influencing rice cultivation throughout eastern Japan.

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Q2: Forerunners of Farming in Matto

Blessed with natural and societal conditions such fertile soil and abundant water resources, Matto has developed agriculture from an early age. Throughout the years, farmers have made efforts to increase production, and have devoted themselves to agricultural work. There are many pioneers of agriculture in Matto, but the following are the most famous.

(From left to right, top to bottom)
Shigeo Gotsubo (1889 - 1961)
Gotsubo was born on the 17th of May 1889, in former Asahi Village, Shiga Prefecture (current Kohoku Town). While his emphasis was on agricultural education, he also taught his students with passion, a strong research-based mindset, and an educational policy of military agriculture (using agriculture to strengthen the military). In particular, he devoted himself to the cultivation of the countryside by promoting self-sufficient composting. He also took the initiative to set a good example in his own practices, which made him highly respected by his students.

Hei-emon Miyanishi (1868 – 1922)
Miyanishi was born in Miyanaga, Ishikawa-gun, on the 24th of January 1868. From a young age he was passionate about agriculture (rice farming) and had a strong research spirit. At the time of harvest in 1903, he discovered a new variant of early-ripening rice called “Heiroku Glutinous Rice (Miyanishi Glutinous Rice)” that was resistant to cold damage and pests. In recognition of his achievements, he received an award from the prefectural governor, in addition to the variant being promoted as a prefectural rice variety, leading to it becoming popular among farmers and consumers alike.

Kitarou Kinda (1880 – 1963)
Kinda was born in Shimoshimada (current Kamishimada), Ishikawa-gun, on the 13th of June 1880. Around 1909, after returning from the war, he worked with other young men to grow onions, and found a way to cultivate them as a back crop of rice fields. At the time, most households did not eat onion, and didn’t know how to cook them, so it was difficult to sell the crops. However, in 1924 onions were presented to the Emperor of Japan as one of the prefecture’s unique products. He also put a lot of effort into developing and introducing various methods of maintaining a stable income outside of rice cultivation, such as dairy farming.

Naokatsu Kitamura (1857 – 1927)
Kitamura was born in Yonenaga, Ishikawa-gun, on the 20th of December 1857. In 1879, while working as an elementary school teacher, he devoted himself to the development of agricultural improvement. In the village he cut down un-used trees between rice paddies, which resulted in an increase of approximately 50L of rice per field. In 1886, while making a model farm, he also advocated the implementation of a land consolidation project, researched and taught ways of improving rice cultivation, and in 1899 he established the Ishikawa-gun Agricultural Research Association and worked towards training rural youth.

Eijiro Sakuda (1876 – 1959)
Sakuda was born in Inui Kakiuchi, Ishikawa-gun, (current Inui Town) on the 5th of January 1876. In the past rice plants were susceptible to falling over and producing unstable yields. Around 1910, Sakuda attempted to make a new variety of rice, and began cross-breeding plants. In 1916 he succeeded in developing an early-ripening variety that was tasty, and resistant to pests, disease, and to falling over. He named it “Sakuda Glutinous Rice”. His method of cross-breeding was revolutionary for the time, and on the 10th of November 1928 he gifted his rice to the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

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Q3: Matto Agricultural School

Agricultural education in Ishikawa Prefecture began in 1876 when the Ishikawa Prefecture Industry and Commerce Office set up the Agricultural Education Department. It was one of the country’s first agricultural schools, alongside the Sapporo Agricultural School in Hokkaido, and Tokyo University’s Agricultural Department. Although there were many changes, the department was moved to Matto in 1902, much to the enthusiasm of the locals, as it was considered the most suitable location due to the prosperous agriculture and fertile land of the Tedori River Alluvial Fan. The school attracted many students aiming to become leaders in agriculture, and became well known throughout Japan.

Despite the turbulent times of the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, the school produced a great number of graduates dedicated to the spirit of independence and self-reliance.

Pictured (left to right, top to bottom):

• Matto Prefectural Agricultural School Building (aerial photo)
• Mid-practice (harvesting of rice)
• Main building entrance
• Mid-practice (harvesting daikon radish)
• Classroom scenery
• Mid-practice (surveying)

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Q4-5: Land Consolidation

In the past rice fields were built according to the geography: some were wide, some were narrow, and not all were able to be drained properly. Takatoshi Iwamura, who became the prefectural governor in 1881, noticed these conditions and stressed the importance of improving farmland, promoting this message through the prefectural government. In response to this, Takayuki Adachi, the mayor of Ishikawa-gun, created a model for the reformation of rice paddies in the Ishikawa-gun Model Farm (located in current Taheiji, Nonoichi), to encourage villagers to follow suit. In 1888, Kyuuhee Takada from Kamiyasuhara Village (current Kamiyasuhara, Kanazawa) persuaded the villagers to reform approximately 60 hectares of rice paddies, achieving great results with an increase of about 2.6 hectares. This became a starting point for the consequent land consolidation project that occurred throughout Japan.

Q5: Progress of Land Consolidation

Referring to the work of Kyuuhee Takada, towns such as Shinden began carrying out land consolidation, but progress was slow. In 1906 Shibata the Mayor of Ishikawa District, assigned a full-time technician to help, and took incentives such as subsidizing construction costs. In 1909 thanks to the visit of the Crown Prince, work progressed rapidly. Afterwards, the Land Consolidation Association was formed as a result of revisions to the law, and by the end of the Meiji Period (1912) 52%, and by the end of the Taisho Era (1926) 90% of rice fields were complete.

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Q6: Matto Agricultural School Photo

Photo of students canning bamboo shoots. 

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Q7-8: Early Farming Methods

Q7: Farming in Matto during the Early Showa Period

Within the history of farming is a history of improving farming tools and methods. This led to increased production, improved quality, and a reduction in labour needs. Until agricultural machinery became the norm in the late 1950s, a part of tilling was conducted using horses and cattle, with all other work conducted through man power. Because of this, minor improvements were continuously made to all farming tools.

In this corner we shine a light on farming and the lifestyle of people in Matto throughout the seasons, during the early 1930s when machinery was not yet used.

The Changes and Development of Farming Tools and Methods

Depicted in the graph, are the changes in agricultural technology for growing rice from the 1870s through to the 1980s. 

Tilling:	Using ploughs (sometimes horses) → Using horses (sometimes cattle) → Tilling machine → Tractor
Seedlings:	Sewn in water (flat sew) → Sewn in trays (salt wash) → Warming (oiled paper) → (plastic) → Greenhouse
Planting:	Backwards planting → (marking with rope) → Forward planting (rolling marker) → Planting machine
Mid-Plowing:	Light plough with hoe → Rolling plough tool → Unnecessary
Weeding:	Hand pulling → weeding tool → chemicals
Pest/Disease:	Sprinkling oil (whale oil → petroleum) → Bordeaux mixture → Insect trap　→ Chemicals
Harvest:	Hand cutting and drying (hanging) → (stacking) → (standing) → (scattered) → binding machine → combine harvester
Threshing:	Comb threshing → Foot pedal thresher → Engine thresher (petrol → electric) → combine harvester
Polishing:	Manual mortar → (using water wheels) → Roller-type Machine (automatic) → (all automatic) → Rice Centre
Transport:	Hand-carrying → Wagon (steel wheels) → (rubber wheels) → cars/trucks
Fertilizer:	Growing clover / scattering lime (sometimes fish bones) → (soy meal) → (sulphur) → (sulphur/superphosphate) → (urea) → complex fertilizer
Main rice varieties:	Taiyo (mid) → Senbanishiki (early) → Nourin #1 (early) → Hounensousei → Koshihikari (mid)/Kagahikari (early)

Q8: Rake Hoe

During the Meiji Period most farmers used a rake hoe to plough the fields. Rake hoes became known during the mid-Edo Period, however it is said that their use was forbidden by the ruling clan, and it wasn’t until the end of the Edo Period that their use became common. Before rake hoes, wooden hoes (with a piece of metal attached to the end) were used.

Using a rake hoe, in one day the average man could plough 660m² of land. This would be followed by further ploughing using a standard hoe, and was one of the toughest jobs for farmers.

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Q9-13: Farming in Spring

Q9: Early Spring

During the early Showa Period (1930s), unable to wait until the end of the long winter, work would begin upon the Tedori River Alluvial Fan in mid-February.

Some of the villages near the ocean would repair the ridges between paddy fields, a process called kattsuki.

The repair of irrigation channels would be conducted by all the villagers. This work was called ezarai or izarai near the mountains, and ehori or ihori near the ocean.

Pictured: Ehori.

Q10: Spring

From the early Meiji Period (late 1800s), a plant called rengaso (related to clover) was grown in rice fields as a kind of fertiliser. Once overgrown, horses would then be used to plough the fields in mid-April.

After being ploughed, rice fields were filled with water and the soil broken up using a machete or a maguwa rake. The top of the soil would then be smoothed down, and a waku (a long rolling marker made from a hexagonal frame) would be used to mark the rows. 

Seeds would be soaked in water in mid-March and then sewn in a special tray. In those days there was little agriculture beside rice, and rice seedlings were planted in the rice paddies around the 20th of May. During this time there was a common practice of sharing labour between households.

Since spring was a long and arduous period of labour, afterwards the entire village would have a special rest day.

Q11: Horse-drawn Ploughs

It wasn’t until the end of the Meiji Period (early 1900s) that horse-drawn ploughs were commonly used, after Matsuyama Genso and others in Nagano Prefecture invented the Matsuyama Plough and other dual shallow-bed ploughs.

Horse-drawn ploughs work by reversing the soil in one direction with an iron blade attached at a reverse angle. However original horse-drawn ploughs pushed soil only to one direction, and were inefficient and time consuming. With the invention of the dual plough, it was possible to reverse the direction of soil both to the left and right, dramatically increasing efficiency.

In addition to the prefectural government’s instruction, another reason for the prevalence of horse-drawn ploughing was the practice of renting horses. Horses were rented just for the rice-planting season, and this practice was especially widespread in Ishikawa-gun. Horses would be raised by farmers in the mountains during normal times, and then rented out via a horse trader at different times of the year, taking advantage of the different planting times.

Pictured: Map showing where horses were either lent or borrowed.
Orange areas show areas where horses were borrowed. Blue areas show areas where horses were raised to be lent out.

As you can see, Matto borrowed horses from areas such as the Tedori Valley, Sakai, Ono, and the Yuwaku Valley. Tonami borrowed horses from the Yuwaku Valley, and Tonami, and Hakui borrowed horses from the lower Noto Peninsula area.

Q12: Farming in Spring Georama

This georama shows the farming scene in Matto during spring in the early Meiji Period (late 1800s). It shows the various works that occur from February to May.

Diagram:

1. Soaking rice seeds
2. Fixing rice field ridges
3. Planting rice seeds in seedling fields and covering with rice husk
4. Ploughing with horses or cattle
5. Breaking up the soil
6. Filling the fields with water, and levelling the surface
7. Marking rows with a rolling marker
8. Taking the seedlings from the seedling fields
9. Planting the seedlings into the rice paddies

Q13: Spring Cooking

Leafy vegetables such as mustard leaf and spinach-like plants grown in personal fields were used for boiled and simmered dishes. Sardines were common, used as a topping, simmered, or in soups. Sometimes simmered akara (red rockfish) was made, and snails taken from the fields were boiled with black beans and tsukudani (seafood boiled in soy sauce) and eaten as regular meals.

A Farmer’s Spring Menu:
Miso-grilled sardine, simmered butterbur, fukitachi (a type of mustard spinach) miso soup, boiled mustard leaf, rice, and pickled daikon.

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Q14-18: Farming in Summer

Q14: Summer

The hot and humid summers of the Hokuriku area brings about rapid growth of rice. But weeds and pests also experience rapid growth. As a result, weed control was a constant task.

At the time there weren’t very effective pest control measures. However in the local area, a ritual called mushiokuri (sending away insects) was held in each village around midsummer in July. It was one of the few insect control measures, and involved lighting a torch, and beating a drum around the rice fields in an attempt to burn even a small amount of insects.

Pictured: flowering rice

Q15: Summer Cooking

Summer is when vegetables are relatively rich in colour, with eggplant, cucumber and tomato being the main types. Eggplant would be simmered with somen (wheat noodles), or fried before simmering with seasonings. Prawns and clams were taken from nearby rivers and cooked with soup or tsukudani (seafood boiled in soy sauce) to add to a meal.

Farmer’s Summer Menu
Burdock root and loach simmered in miso, tenbaha (a type of mustard spinach), pickled cucumber, barley rice, eggplant and somen miso soup, and eggplant pickled in bran.

Q16: Insect Traps

Insect traps were built with a lamp dangling over a basin of water, which trapped insects that were attracted by the light.

Until the advent of chemicals after WWII, there were few effective means of controlling pests. Rice pests included insects such as the Asiatic rice borer (a species of moth), rice skipper (another species of moth), plant hoppers, and grasshoppers. Among these, there were occasional outbreaks of rice borers and plant hoppers which caused a lot of damage. In addition to using insect traps, another method used since the Meiji Era was removing leaves that had had insect eggs laid on them.

In summer the gently flickering light of insect traps created a uniquely poetic summer
scenery in farming villages.

Q17: Weeding

Weeding was one of the most gruelling tasks of a farmer. Although some weeding machines existed, most work was done by hand. It involved pulling out large weeds first, then stirring the soil between rows to remove small weeds, before pulling weeds out from around the roots of the rice plants.

Weeding occurred in late July – the hottest time of the year – and required the farmer to be constantly crouched down, making it a difficult task. Furthermore, the leaves of the rice plant would often hit workers in the eyes, so they often wore mesh masks (shown) to protect their eyes.

Q18: The Use of Hoes

Weeding is done by tilling the soil around rice plants in order to remove weeds, and also provide nutrients and oxygen to the roots.

Until the end of the Meiji Era (early 1900s), light-weight hoes such as rake hoes, or cut-out hoes were used. However in 1972, Taichiro Nakai from Tottori Prefecture invented a rotary hoe which was improved upon and popularized. It eventually was developed into a weeding machine.

Nowadays herbicides are widely used, so these machines are no longer seen.

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Q19-24: Farming in Autumn

Q19: Autumn

During the early Showa Period (1930s) rice was generally harvested in bundles.

Four plants would be harvested to make one bundle, and three bundles would be hung and dried, and when dry, 9 bundles would be piled up together on the ground. From around 1935 a new method was introduced which allowed plants to be cut and dried as is on the ground. 

Around this time a foot-powered thresher became popular, replacing the manual thresher. However from around 1935 a motorized thresher appeared.

Q20: Grasshoppers

Top: Oxya yezoensis
Bottom: Oxya japonica

Grasshoppers are one of the famous pests that affect rice, with the species Oxya yezoensis and Oxya japonica inhabiting central to southern Japan, and China. Grasshoppers become adults from August to October, sometimes growing into massive swarms.

Q21: Harvest Sickles

Top: Douhouji Yamano Sickle
Bottom: Urame Sickle

In 1915, Kichishiro Fujishima (from Matto) reformed the standard sawtooth sickle, and made an easy to sharpen sickle. This was called the Douhouji Yamano Sickle in this area, and became widely used.

Q22: Dirt Courtyard

In a typical farm house in the Hokuriku Area, there is usually a dirt courtyard at one of the entrances to the house, which is used for doing various indoor work. Here, threshed rice would be de-husked using a mortar to get brown rice (unpolished rice).

The unhusked rice would first be scooped from a shallow bowl into the mortar using a wooden scoop. The mortar is controlled with wooden handles, and by pushing, pulling, and turning the mortar, the husk would be separated from the rice. Using a wicker scoop, the rice and husk mix would be inserted into a grain fan, which using wind would blow the husk away. Finally, a mesh filter would be used to separate any remaining husk and broken grains. Then the rice would be measured using standardised cups, and put into straw bales before being weighed, and checked by a rice inspector.

Diagram:
1: Grain fan. A fan is spun by hand to remove loose husks.
2: Scoop used for unhulled rice.
3: Wooden bucket used to hold unhulled rice.
4: Wooden scoop to place unhulled rice into the mortar.
5: Mortar used to separate rice from the husk.
6: Handle for the mortar.
7: A scoop made from bamboo and cane, used for scooping rice and unhulled rice.
8: First screen. Used to sort rice from hulls.
9: Second screen. Used to separate high grade rice from smaller, broken rice.
10: Wooden box used to measure a set amount of rice.
11: Different boxes for different amounts of rice.
12: Scales used for measuring the weight of things such as rice.
13: Rice bale made from straw.
14: Woven basket hung from the waist.
15: A rice paddy hat made from cypress pine.
16: A sieve used to separate brown rice from unhulled rice.

Q23: Rice Hulling

Rice hulling occurred in autumn and was a big task comparable to rice planting, however it also had an additional meaning of celebration. Hulling involved a lot of manpower, and women would hold the bottom of the mortar steady while the men used the handles to push and pull the top. The mortar was pushed and pulled at right angles, causing it to turn.

Outside of eating three meals a day, workers would also take breaks, have a snack, and drink alcohol.

After the day’s work was finished, dinner would include herring, fried tofu, and stewed pinto beans, and the night would be celebrated with more alcohol. If the harvest was good they would celebrate even more.

To keep spirits high, farmers would sing while working.

Q24: Autumn Cooking

The flower of the perilla plant (a type of mint) would often be cooked with roasted soy bean to make shiina and relatively hard to find herring was easily procured here, and eaten with other foods such as simmered beans, barracuda, and mackerel. Carp and catfish were sometimes caught, and cooked in soup or grilled and simmered, with mushrooms such as oyster mushroom also being added to soups.

Farmer’s Autumn Menu:
Simmered herring and eggplant, mixed leafy vegetables with sesame, pickled taro stem, rice, and carp miso soup.

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Q25-26: Farming in Winter

Q25: Winter

Winter’s work typically involved weaving straw. In addition to the rope and caps used for rice bales, other products such as straw mats, and straw raincoats would be made, utilizing the flexibility and long-lasting nature of the material.

These straw products often became important sources of income for the family, and some of the products were even exported outside the prefecture.

This weaving work was continuing deep into the night in the courtyard or by the fire.

26: Winter Cooking

Vegetables comprised mostly of daikon radish that was typically simmered, put in soup, or pickled in vinegar or bran, etc. Japanese sandfish would be simmered, and if many crabs containing eggs were unloaded from the ships, their eggs would be eaten like snacks. When seas were rough and catches small, pickled sardines would be used instead of fresh fish.

Farmer’s Winter Menu:
Simmered daikon radish, carrot, and minor taro root, dried daikon hot pot, rice, dried bean soup, and pickled daikon.

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Q27: Muro Cellar

Muro cellars are generally storage rooms specially constructed underground to store food and other items. In addition to storage cellars there are also ice cellars, and koji* cellars.

This model is a koji cellar. Koji has been grown in Matto for a long long time.

*Koji is a type of mould used to make various products such as sake, fermenting soy beans into miso and soy sauce, and making amazake (sweet sake).

How Koji is Made:
(Process takes four days)

1. Soak polished rice in water overnight. Steam and cool to 40°C before thoroughly mixing in koji spores. Put 1.8L into a wooden box (made from cedar) and put it into the 20°C muro cellar.
2. Allow the koji to propagate (1 day). As the koji grows the temperature will start to rise.
3. Keep the temperature steady by immersing a straw lid in water and placing it over the mix.
4. In order to maintain a uniform temperature, the boxes of mix are moved, making sure the inside boxes are swapped with the outside, and the bottom with the top. After confirming that the koji mould has grown uniformly, the boxes are removed from the cellar.
5. The lid is removed, and the contents cooled.

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