Japan's Farmers Grow New Heat-Resistant Rice
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As Japan faces rising temperatures, farmers are turning to new heat-resistant rice varieties to protect the country's most important food crop. Rice is a staple in Japan, and hotter summers have started to damage harvests in recent years.
Scientists have developed new rice varieties that can better withstand extreme heat. These plants are giving farmers hope that they can continue producing good crops despite the challenges of a warming climate.
In the town of Shiroishi, local schoolchildren were recently involved in planting rice seedlings in June. During the event, Shinto priests performed a traditional blessing, asking the deities for a successful harvest.
One local farmer, Haruki Kawasaki, appears to be benefiting from both the new rice varieties and, perhaps, the blessing. His fields are reportedly growing very well this season.
The situation reflects a broader challenge facing Japanese agriculture. As the climate emergency continues, extreme heat is becoming a serious threat to food production, not just in Japan but around the world.
By combining scientific innovation with traditional practices, farmers in places like Shiroishi are trying to secure their livelihoods and Japan's food supply. The new heat-resistant varieties represent a practical response to a warming planet, offering a possible model for how agriculture can adapt.
While challenges remain, the healthy fields in Shiroishi suggest that these efforts may be paying off, at least for now.
Vocabulary10 words
- staple
- a main food eaten regularly by most people
- seedlings
- very young plants grown from seeds
- blessing
- words said to ask for protection or good luck
- deities
- gods or goddesses
- climate emergency
- a serious, urgent problem caused by changing weather patterns
- heat-resistant
- able to survive very hot conditions
- variety
- a specific type within a group of plants
- harvest
- the crops gathered from fields at the end of a growing season
- livelihood
- the way someone earns money to live
- agriculture
- the work of farming
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Quiz
Answer key
1. To deal with hotter weather 2. Shinto priests blessed the fields 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
As Japan faces rising _____, farmers are turning to new heat-resistant rice varieties.
Rice is a staple in Japan, and hotter summers have started to _____ harvests.
Scientists have developed new rice varieties that can better _____ extreme heat.
In the town of Shiroishi, local schoolchildren were recently involved in planting rice _____ in June.
Shinto priests performed a traditional _____, asking the deities for a successful harvest.
One local farmer, Haruki _____, appears to be benefiting from both the new rice varieties and the blessing.
His fields are reportedly growing very _____ this season.
As the climate _____ continues, extreme heat is becoming a serious threat to food production.
Farmers in places like Shiroishi are trying to secure their _____ and Japan's food supply.
The healthy fields in Shiroishi suggest that these _____ may be paying off.
Discussion questions
- How do you think climate change will affect food production in your country?
- Why might traditional practices like blessings still matter alongside modern science?
- What other crops do you think might need heat-resistant varieties in the future?
- How important is rice to different cultures around the world?
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