Rice Planting Matsuri

Its that time of the year again. In my neighborhood the month of May is spent planting rice. My neighbors dont go on vacation for Golden Week, the time off from their regular job is spent preparing the paddies and planting.

Down in Kawahira half a paddy remains unplanted......

Its waiting for the arrival of the procession from the local community center. Its Tauebayashi time again.

The maidens line up along the paddy and wait.....

While the farmer and his oxen do a ceremonial circuit of the paddy.

Then the drummers and singers begin to perform the rice planting song.

A man and a woman place a bottle of Sake at a sacred sprig in the center of the paddy, plant a few rice seedlings around it and ask the kami of the rice paddy to watch.....