Japanese Agricultural Life (Feb. 11, 1946 - June 04, 1946)

LS Dolly along a road in the hills behind Beppu showing the terraces that are planted with barley. Barley is mixed in with rice as part of the food ration as there is not enough rice grown at the present. Barley is grown during about six months of the year and used as a rotation crop. LS Two women working on their terrace farm in the hills behind Beppu, plowing furrows in the ground between rows of barley, using typical Japanese hoes. MC Japanese woman hoeing. CU (Two angles). MS Two Japanese farmers, a man and his wife, carrying wooden buckets filled with human fertilizer down a patch leading into their terraced farm. They set the buckets down by the side of a small stream that is running along one edge of their farm and dilute the fertilizer with water. The old lady side steps down a row of young barley in order to flatten the blades so that the fertilizer will fall to the ground more easily, then she and her husband start scattering the fertilizer along the rows of barley using a small ladle on the end of a long pole. LS A middle-class Japanese country residence in Takai, with cultivated fields and rice paddies. Note the green roofed building to left is called a Kura (storehouse). MC Closeup of Kura. Mizuochiyama. LS Mountain slope establishes type of terrace. MS Same as above. MS Low angel showing farmers working on the steep slope. Male and female are shown using hoe. A series of short scenes. Scrub grass and trees burning. Group of Japanese guiding a two-wheeled truck loaded with logs. CU Woman farmer clearing away scrub earth with a hoe. Same as above, different angle. MS Japanese husband and wife clearing with hoe. MLS Same as above, different angle. MLS Frame shot of mountain slopes with Pine Street, main highway to Kure and the ocean. MS Japanese farmer and his wife clearing with hoe. LS General view of progress made in clearing, note the faint outline of terraced areas. Previos scene followed by a pan shot of workers MC. MC Japanese lumberjack sawing base of a tree. A series of shots taken in front of aircraft workers homes in Mizushima, Japan. The scenes show the well cultivated gardens while in the background, the workers' homes. A series of moving shots taken from a train enroute to Tokyo. The scenes show the well-cultivated fields of rice, wheat and vegetables. Several shots. Scenes were taken just before sunset. LS A typical main road in japan which runs along a rice paddie. As the scene opens, a Japanese farmer walks along the road, as he exits in left frame a pan shot to right shows a Japanese family planting rice. MLS The rice paddie and the family planting rice. MS Same as above, closer shot same angle. MS Same as above, different angle. MC Shows method used to plant evenly-spaced rows of rice. CU Same as above, closer shot. LS CU MS A series of shots showing a group of Japanesefarmers planting rice in straight rows. This scene was recorded W of Maizuru near the N of the Yura River. A series of shots taken along the main highway that leads from Osaka to Nara. The scenes show a Japanese woman farmer spreading newly harvested barley onto a concrete roadway and letting the heavy USA trucks do the seperating of barley seed. A series of shots taken from many angles including close ups which shows another mentod to remove newly cut barley from the stalk; also method to remove barley grain from the bud. Recorded along a road leading to the town of Tsu. This item documents the time period: 02/11/1946 - 06/04/1946 Contributor: Camera operator, Sgt. Bolm, McGovern National Archives Identifier: 64497 Local Identifier: 342-USAF-11050