Country Life

by Robert George, Jan 2, 2003 | Destinations: Japan / Tokyo

Rural life in Gunma Prefecture moves at a much slower pace than the typical urban existence in Tokyo.

Rural life in Gunma Prefecture moves at a much slower pace than the typical urban existence in Tokyo.

Image © 2002 Robert George

Rural life in Gunma Prefecture moves at a much slower pace than the typical urban existence in Tokyo.

Rice is Japan's most important agricultural crop. And although only 15% of Japan's landmass is suitable for cultivation, 14 million acres are planted with rice, many of them postage-stamp sized family farms nestled in vacant lots between suburban buildings.

Rice is Japan's most important agricultural crop. And although only 15% of Japan's landmass is suitable for cultivation, 14 million acres are planted with rice, many of them postage-stamp sized family farms nestled in vacant lots between suburban buildings.

Rice is Japan's most important agricultural crop. And although only 15% of Japan's landmass is suitable for cultivation, 14 million acres are planted with rice, many of them postage-stamp sized family farms nestled in vacant lots between suburban buildings.

A story told with photos.

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Every year on November 15, Japan celebrates Shichi-Go-San--Children's Day. Dressed in their very finest garments, girls and boys aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven, go with their families to nearby shrines, where they line up, sometimes for hours, to await their turn to be blessed by the presiding priest. After the blessing, the child is presented with a gift of long sticks of candy called chitose-ame, "thousand year sweets," wrapped in ornate bags decorated with cranes and turtles, both symbols of longevity.

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Perhaps the most anticipated and beloved celebration in Japan is the season known as Ohanami. The word translates as flower watching, and depending upon the weather in mid-spring, sometime during the month of April, the entire nation of Japan bursts into bloom with the ubiquitous sakura, the flowering cherry tree. The sakura create a frosty-pink canopy over city parks and country hillsides alike, and the people of Japan emerge after the long winter to rejoice in this ephemeral season. Beneath a canopy of blossoms, street vendors offer an array of traditional foods, including yakitori, skewers of savory grilled chicken.

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The Tokyo district of Rygoku is home of one of Japan's most famous Sumo wrestling facilities. Sumo wrestlers train very strenuously for their six annual basho tournaments, and must consume up to 10,000 calories a day to achieve and maintain their enormous stature. When they're not in training however, they can be seen strolling the city sidewalks wearing blue and white cotton robes called yukata.

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