rice

Rice harvest has been going on in the small rice paddies all around Kamiyama. One day the field is a waving carpet of bright green, the next it is all cut and drying in the sun. Often the rice straw is hung up to dry on fences or small supports built just for this. I first noticed this shortly after arriving here, and asked Mr. Mori about it. He said the people used to always save the rice straw for animal feed and for various other uses like weaving rope. The rice straws are woven into ceremonial ropes at Shinto shrines, and are often wrapped around trees, stones or other sacred places- demarcating a sacred space. This weaving is called shimenawa. However, current production methods mean it is often more efficient to just chop up the straw or burn it rather than dry it and keep it. Mr. Mori said that he used to keep cows on his farm but that now he cannot get such good rice straw for them- this is one of the reasons he no longer keeps cows.
I asked if they thought I could use the rice straw for an art project. At first, I heard- yes, no problem, it seems to be everywhere! Then Mr. Mori told me all about how its not as easy to get as it used to be. I said I would like to make a giant installation out of it, and soon the Kamiyama magic began to work. I think Mr. Mori knows everyone, and called them, and activated the small town community of gift-giving inter-relationship. How amazing to be the beneficiary of this! Soon, rice straw began arriving by the truckload in the Budokan where I am working as an installation space. Then, I started going out with Mr. Mori to collect rice straw from various farms and bring it to the forest for my installation there. One visit to a farm included bundling up the straw, loading it into Mr. Mori’s truck, and bringing it back to the forest. But of course, before heading off, we were offered drinks, cakes and conversation with the farmer, his father and his wife (although she usually hangs out in the background). At this particular farm I was also given a huge bag of watercress that grew wild along the stream, a bunch of tiny fruits like miniature apples, and I also saw his field of devils tongue plant which is used to make konnyaku- ubiquitous gelatinous substance used in both desserts and main courses (it is rumored that this is also called “mountain potato” but I think that might be another slimy vegetable). At one point we had a crew of five people helping to unload the straw and roll it down the hill to the installation site. Satoshi called it “Team Vaughn.” Here is a picture of Team Vaughn in front of one truckload: Mr. Nakahara, Satoshi, Nicorai, and Mr. Mori.