A Rice Paddy Is a Mirror Made of Water
From puddling to harvest. A sketch of the rice paddy as a way of using water.
In May, when the paddies are flooded, Higashikawa's area temporarily becomes "half sky." The paddies become a giant mirror, reflecting Asahidake upside down. It's the busiest season of the year for the photo club.
August paddies are no longer mirrors. The rice has grown, and the water's surface hides under green. But the water keeps working. It absorbs the daytime heat and protects the roots from the night's chill. Rice farming is also agriculture that has water do temperature work.
Farmers say Higashikawa's rice is good because of "the water, and the difference between day and night temperatures." Both happen every day inside these paddies.
In September, before harvest, the water is drained and the paddies return to dry soil. Where there was a mirror becomes a golden carpet. And next May, it reflects the sky again. A rice paddy is a landscape made of water that appears for only a few months a year.
