Japan Emperor Harvests Rice In Boots

Sep 10, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Emperor Naruhito harvested rice on September 10th in a paddy field within the Imperial Palace grounds.

At around 3:30 p.m., wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and rubber boots, the Emperor worked in the paddy at the Biological Research Institute on the palace grounds.

Bending at the waist, he used a sickle to cut 20 clumps in total from two varieties: the table-rice cultivar "Nihonmasari" and the glutinous rice "Mangetsumochi."

The crop was raised from seed sown by the Emperor in April and seedlings he transplanted in May.

Rice cultivation at the palace was begun in 1927 by Emperor Showa and has been passed down from the Emperor Emeritus to the current Emperor.

According to the Imperial Household Agency, the Emperor values rice cultivation—central to Japan’s agrarian culture—and undertakes the work with care.

The harvested rice will be offered at the Niinamesai harvest festival in autumn.

Source: TBS

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