Organic Rice Harvesting

Last Updated on August 6, 2025

Through Farming Experiences in Nabari, you can enjoy a variety of seasonal activities. In this article, we introduce a program where participants harvest rice during the fruitful autumn season at an organic farm. These crops are lovingly grown by local farmers.

What is “Farming Experiences in Nabari”?

At 11 a.m., we started our day at a charming traditional farmhouse with a panoramic view of the satoyama countryside. Here, we listened to Kami-chan, an organic farmer from Nabari, share her story.

This region, blessed with fertile soil and fresh spring water, is known as a major rice-producing area, cultivating Iga Rice, some of which earned the prestigious Special A Rank in 2024. In this beautiful setting, Kami-chan operates her farm, Kami no Itazura, where she grows organic rice and vegetables.

Kami-chan shared insights about Nabari’s geography, terrain, and its famous tourist spot, Akame 48 Waterfalls. She also discussed how her rice differs from others and the challenges of organic farming. Worried this might sound too technical? Not at all! Kami-chan’s cheerful personality and expressive Kansai (western Japan) dialect made her explanations engaging and easy to follow.

After about 30 minutes of fun and informative storytelling, we moved on to lunch. Before heading to the rice fields, we enjoyed a meal at the farmhouse.

That day’s lunch was a vegan-friendly spiced curry! Made with locally grown organic vegetables, it was perfectly seasoned to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients. As we enjoyed the meal, Kami-chan shared stories about the organic vegetables used in the curry, adding depth to the flavors and making the experience even more special.

Hands-on Rice Harvesting

Finally, it was time to head to the rice fields. Standing in front of the ready-to-harvest lush and golden rice, we gathered to learn how to harvest it by hand. Since most of us had never used a sickle before, Kami-chan gave us a quick lesson on how to handle one properly.

Next, we learned how to cut the rice stalks and worked together, harvesting row by row. It wasn’t as easy as it looked—sometimes a few stalks would stubbornly remain uncut!

Once the rice was harvested, we moved on to hazagake, a traditional drying method where harvested rice is hung on wooden racks to dry in the sun. We carefully placed the cut rice stalks on the ground, organizing and bundling them together to hang them on the rack. Seeing the completed row of rice drying on the rack gave us a strong sense of accomplishment.

At the end of the program, we received organic rice from Kami no Itazura as a souvenir. This experience deepened our gratitude toward the farmers who produce our food, and inspired us to keep their efforts in mind while we savor every grain of rice.