110609-0003 - Planting Rice

Rice cultivation in Japan: Planting rice plants. This image comes from “The Rice in Japan,” published in 1907 (Meiji 40) by Kobe based photographer Teijiro Takagi.

Original text: “Men and women, young men and maidens planting the rice. This takes place in May, and is a festive occasion; the girls are dressed in showy (working) garments, and they sing and joke in the midst of their labours. The scene depicted shows the toilers at work on a rainy day, hence the reason for the large, straw hats and straw ‘waterproofs’ they don for such occassions.”

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