Spring mornings in the Japanese countryside are pure magic right now—they honestly make me fall in love with this season all over again. As we enter the shifting humidity from winter to spring, the mountains are shrouded in a soft mist, resembling giant, perfectly steamed rice balls fresh out of a traditional rice cooker. And the rice paddies! They’re flooded now, shimmering and glistening under the spring sun.

Topics in this video

• Rice planting: In this video, I’ll share my first time helping our neighbors plant rice.
• Springtime cooking: featuring one of my favorite seasonal treats: tender, delicious bamboo shoots.
• Akiya hunt: Of course, I’ll give you a minor update on our ongoing (and sometimes challenging!) search for our dream akiya house.

Thanks so much for watching and reading along! I really appreciate having you on this journey with us.