On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Emperor Naruhito of Japan planted seedlings (hand sowing) in the back gardens at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

According to NTV Japan, Emperor Naruhito planted:

“…two types of rice Uruchi rice and Mangetsumochi made from glutinous rice.

His Majesty, wearing a gray jumper and black walking shoes, carefully sprinkled the seeds in a small basket evenly over the plot. Rice cultivation at the Imperial Palace was started by Emperor Showa and passed on to his heirs. Emperor Naruhito values ​​rice cultivation, which is the center of Japanese farming culture.

The seedlings grown from seed will be planted by the Emperor in the paddy field in the middle of next month, and the rice harvested in the fall will be used for the “Niiname-no-Matsuri” of the Miyanaka ritual, and the rooted rice will also be used for the Shinto ritual of Ise Jingu.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Japanese method of rice farming, which is actually quite interesting, please click here.