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180-year-old house and Niigata rice
180 year old farm house. Snow tires are set out and protective sheets have been added to the side of the house in preparation for the long winter. 99.12.04/ Temperature: 1C/ Weather: Partly cloudy/ Wind Direction: NW
Start: Oguni 38 03 42 N 139 45 33 E
Destination:Sekikawamura 38 04 30 N 139 34 53 E
Distance Traveled: 19 kmArriving in Niigata Prefecture today, I had the rare pleasure of sitting around the edge of an irori (Japanese fireplace) nestled in the center of a 180-year-old house and learning a few secrets about Niigata's delicious rice.
After staying close to a week in Oguni, my body was a little hesitant as I started off this morning. Once I began moving, my toes and heals, calves and hips, even my shoulders quickly returned to the walking mode that they have come to know so well. Thin clouds hanging low over the snow capped mountains, unexpected sunshine, and the cool breeze of winter were so refreshing that I was delighted to be back on route towards Niigata Prefecture.
The Ito's irori glows brightly in the darkness of their 180-year-old house. In Kamiseki, Sekikawamura, Niigata Prefecture, my destination for the day, there are 33 households. I was to spend the night in one of the oldest houses in the village.
Two of the Ito's neighbor's kids dashed over the tatami (straw mats) in the large central room of the 180-year-old house. One did a cartwheel as the other stood in front of the irori (open fireplace set down in the raised straw mat floor) asking, "What is this?" The older brother had seen one on television and assured his little brother that he had seen one before. Even out in the countryside, what was quite common 20 to 30 years ago is extraordinary and rare.
Mr. and Mrs. Ito in front of their history filled house. "The house dates back 180 years," said Mr. Itou, my host for the evening. Sitting around a simmering charcoal fire in the irori Mr. Itou told me about his house. "Apparently, this is the second house my ancestors built. They originally settled here about 300 years ago." The lacquer covering the dark zelkova pillars in the main room has worn away with age. The ceiling above was pitch-black. Mr. Ito explained that the beams above us have absorbed more than a century of smoke from the irori. Rather than having a chimney, the smoke was utilized to keep insects out of the wood and to prevent the wooden beams from rotting.
A waterfall trickles out into the Arakawa River. I imagined his family all huddled around the irori for dinner poking at the fire's coals with metal chopsticks. I wondered whether or not families today have such time to spend together. Watching the burning coals, I felt the coolness of the large room behind me. "Nowadays only two of us live here so we rarely use the irori. We normally eat in the other room, which is smaller and easier to heat. On special occasions we use it in order to keep the structure bug-free and sturdy," explained Mr. Ito.
Since their oldest son married and move out, just Mr. and Mrs. Ito live in the huge house that once sheltered 4 generations. Just like their ancestors, the Itos are rice farmers, only they farm in the limited time they have off from their regular jobs. I have been curious about Niigata's reputation for having delicious rice, so I jumped at the opportunity to ask Mr. Ito, who passes on his family's history of rice farming.
"Good water is probably the biggest factor," said Mr. Ito. "Good air and the proper climate also matter," he continued. "The heart of the person who makes the rice is important," added Mrs. Ito gleefully. "Also, the climate here is perfect for rice. There is a drastic difference between day and nighttime temperatures, which grows a tastier rice."
I pinched some of the Ito's homegrown Koshihikari rice between my chopsticks. It was soft and flavorful. "The trick is not to try to grow a lot," explained Mr. Ito. "When you try to make a lot of rice, you need a lot of fertilizer. This makes the rice more susceptible to illnesses so you then sterilize your fields. It is a bad cycle." His delicious rice gave me some supporting evidence.
The Ito's have no intentions of rebuilding their historical home or leaving their rice paddies, so it's safe to say that family, home, and fields will carry on together for years to come.
Have any of you used an irori (fireplace) before?
Are there any secrets to growing rice in your regions?Greg
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