On October 24, 20 children from the university-attached kindergarten harvested rice in the Ecological and Experimental Garden on campus. Guided by staff from the Technical Center and three students from the School of Science and the School of Applied Biological Science, the children participated in this annual educational activity, designed for older kindergarteners.

Two types of rice—ancient rice (black rice) and Japanese rice (Akiroman)—were planted in late May and had reached harvest time. The kindergarteners were responsible for both planting and harvesting the ancient rice.

Before harvesting, the children removed the husks and tasted the raw ancient rice. They were surprised by its dark color and distinctive flavors, exclaiming, “It’s delicious,” “It’s bitter,” and “It tastes like nuts!”

After receiving instructions from Senior Technical Staff Tsuneo Shioji on how to safely use the sickles and harvest rice, the children were divided into groups to perform various tasks, such as cutting the rice, transporting it, and bundling it with a string. The rice fields were muddy from the rain a few days prior, and while the children sometimes struggled to keep their footing, they managed to complete their first rice harvest with the help of HU students. They also had fun making mud balls while harvesting. The children made multiple trips back and forth to carry the bundles of rice to dry in the sun, with some even carrying several bundles at once.

The rice planting and harvesting activities at the Ecological and Experimental Garden will continue in the years to come. Some of the rice seeds harvested by the kindergarteners this year will be used to grow seedlings for next year’s kindergarteners.