This season, when the weather turns warm, is known by farmers as rice planting season. Since we have rice fields in Niigata, we can be seen busily taking advantage of Golden Week and the weekends to plant rice. After the autumn harvest, the dry fields are flooded, creating a beautifully serene scene as the spring sunlight shines on the surface of the water. The majority of harvesting and planting is done by machine, but in areas that are inaccessible to machines, planting is done by hand. Because of this, working family members, other relatives, and children all work together to plant the rice.