Rice Planting.

It’s the season for planting rice and here at “Mori-no-Gakko” we went into the hills on the outskirts of Kochi to plant this year’s crop.

After some direction and demonstration the children began planting their seedlings.

The first step for newcomers was the most challenging!

Planting went remarkably smoothly!

And afterwards it was time for lunch.

This time it was udon.

After lunch, in between rain showers, the kids enjoyed exploring the valley,

playing chase and other games.

And of course, searching for the insects, newts and frogs that inhabit the area.

This kind of activity brings the children closer to nature and puts them in direct contact with the eco-systems in which their food is produced as well as giving them an understanding of Japan’s traditional way of life that has existed for a over a thousand years. On a developmental level, they become more confident and imbued with a sense of adventure, which spills-over into other areas of life!