The rice is planted in June on a 田圃 (tanbo, rice field) behind the school, at the time when the paddies are wet and lake-like, reflecting all of Yakage.
It's harvested in late October or early November, when the wet world behind my house goes from lush and green with red dragonflies buzzing above the rice shoots, to brown and desolate for winter.
A bag of rice is saved for each teacher, as a school year present at winter's end, late March, as the plum flowers are in bloom, just before the sakura cherry blossoms. Everyone eats sakura-mochi at graduation ceremonies, rice cakes wrapped in cherry leaf to celebrate the sakura's bringing spring, and the start of a fresh school year.
One of my students, Daiki Ikeda, wrote a note to me on the bag in Japanese.
"Dear Taylor sensei, who always cheerfully give us enjoyable times. This rice was planted by us. Please make delicious rice meals out of it. My favorite rice meal is curry rice. Next year, we will become upper classmen. As upper classmen (来年度、rainendo, 6th graders) we will try our best to spread cheerful greetings around the school. This year too, let's do our best."
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