Satoyama Classroom 2025 - Autumn/Winter Edition - Part 1: Making Winter Shimenawa (sacred ropes) after the rice harvest

Approximately four months after planting the rice in May, we harvested, threshed, and milled the rice in September. Then, in December, we held a shimenawa (sacred straw rope) making event to celebrate the start of the new year. This time, we will introduce the harvest, threshing, and milling process from the "Satoyama Classroom" held in 2025.

■Second installment: "Let's play in the countryside! ~Rice harvesting edition~"
On Saturday, September 13th, while the heat was still intense, we harvested rice with the children. First, the animal care staff explained how the rice had grown since planting in May. We deepened the children's learning before the harvest by incorporating quizzes such as, "Where are the rice flowers?"

Once the explanation is over, the rice harvesting finally begins.
At the Satoyama Classroom, children carefully harvested rice using traditional methods. Some children were touching a sickle for the first time, but they learned how to harvest from the animal care staff. As they got used to using the sickle, they picked up the pace, and we heard them saying things like, "It's fun to chop away!" and "Rice harvesting is exhilarating!"

After the rice harvest, it is hung to dry using the "hazakake" method. The rice is tied in bundles of several stalks with hemp string, but this is a physically demanding task, so the children worked together with the animal care staff and their guardians to bundle the rice. The bundled rice is then hung on a base erected in the rice paddy so that the rice stalks face downwards to dry. This method is said to ensure that nutrients are distributed evenly to the rice grains.
Although there were times when it rained lightly along the way, we were able to successfully harvest all the rice and hang it to dry.

■3rd Session: "Let's Play in the Satoyama! ~Threshing and Milling Rice~"
On Saturday, September 27th, about two weeks after the harvest, we carried out threshing and milling. The rice, which had been drying on racks, had turned completely brown. This time, we tried our hand at threshing and milling together with 14 children who are annual pass members.

First, we use a traditional tool called a "senba-koki" to separate the rice grains from the stalks. This is a physically demanding task, so we work together with the animal care staff to complete it.

In addition to using a traditional threshing machine, we also used a foot-operated threshing machine to separate the rice grains from the stalks. Any remaining grains that didn't come off were removed one by one by hand.

Next, we'll use the winnowing machine. Turn the handle to create airflow and remove fine debris and rice straw.

Next, the husks are removed using a rice hulling machine, leaving us with brown rice. Finally, it goes through a rice polishing machine, and only then is it complete as white rice. Through this hands-on experience, I learned just how many steps are involved in producing the white rice we eat every day.

Most of the children who participated in threshing and milling the rice had been involved since the rice planting and harvesting stages, and they seemed to enjoy the final steps in the rice production process.

In 2025, there was a nationwide rice shortage, and our harvest was also lower than usual. However, we were able to participate in the entire process, from rice planting to threshing and milling, together with the children, and it was a valuable time for them to observe the animals around them.
The milled rice was distributed to everyone who participated up to this point as "Kyoto Satoya Rice 2026".

That's all for today.
For photos of the Shimenawa (sacred rope) making event held in December 2025, please see Part 2.

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