A farmer in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture, has harvested rice for the 10th time since the Great East Japan Earthquake, which severely battered the area.
"It was hotter than usual in August, which made the rice come out even better this year," Yoshihiro Furuuchi, 64, said Tuesday as he harvested golden Hitomebore rice under the autumn sun. "I want to keep harvesting this rice as long as I live."
When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011, many of the farmers in the area stopped producing rice. Furuuchi, however, worked tirelessly to get rid of the seawater that flooded his rice fields due to tsunami. He managed to revive his fields enough to harvest from them again.
Furuuchi continued growing and harvesting the rice alongside his family and relatives, but as he grew older, the land was entrusted to an agricultural cooperative cooperation. He also stopped sun-drying the rice, which requires more manpower.
Due to Typhoon No. 19 last October, two of the three sources of water in the area became unusable. Furuuchi was only able to harvest 2,200 square meters of rice, or half of what he can in a regular year. He managed to secure water supplies through such efforts as digging his own well, and he said he plans on using his entire field to grow rice next year.
"This being the 10th harvest [since the disaster], I feel like time passed quickly and slowly at the same time," Furuuchi said. "With nature as my partner, I'm learning new things every year. I reflect, and then I move forward. That's it," he said.
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