Experience the "Satoyama Chibikko Adventure - Getting Dirty in the Rice Fields" activity
At Mobility Resort Motegi in Motegi Town, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, various outdoor activities are available for enjoyment.
Among them, an activity called "Satoyama Little Adventure Team - Getting Muddy in the Rice Fields" was held, where participants can have fun getting thoroughly muddy in the rice fields.
This time, I will share the experience of participating.
I actually experienced "Satoyama Little Adventure Team - Muddy in the Rice Field"!
First, we gather at the meeting place, Hello Woods, where participants and staff introduce themselves, and we listen carefully to the precautions provided by the staff. After that, we all head to the Haccho Tonbo terraced rice fields! The weather forecast for the day predicted rain, but it turned out to be nice enough to see the sun. Since it was hot, we made sure to stock up on drinks in the cooler boxes distributed by the staff as we headed to our destination.
On the way there, the staff gave a detailed explanation about nature, including the history of Hello Woods, where the water in the rice fields comes from, and how this mountain was formed. For example, the terraced rice fields at Mobility Resort Motegi, which is today's destination, have been preserved for a long time, with dedicated staff carefully maintaining the environment and managing it with great care even now. It is said that activities such as rice planting experiences in spring and rice harvesting experiences in autumn are also held annually in the terraced rice fields. Before we knew it, we arrived at the rice fields.
At the Haccho Tonbo terraced rice fields, many of the rice paddies are planted with rice, but some areas are left uncultivated as fallow fields to serve as habitats for living creatures. This activity uses these fallow fields. The participants immediately enter the rice paddies! On sunny days like today, snakes sometimes come out into the sun to warm their bodies. Everyone enters the rice paddies with plenty of caution.
The participants were enjoying playing in the mud in the rice fields, looking very comfortable. About 10 minutes after starting, they were covered in mud from head to toe!
Additionally, the staff provided balls and sleds, so you can enjoy playing in the mud in various ways. On this day, there were many families, and parents and children were covered in mud from head to toe. It’s great to be able to fully immerse in a nature experience as a family.
There is another fallow field, and this time we move to that one. This rice field has a different texture from the previous one, with a soft texture like fine mud.
In this rice field, we also experienced searching for creatures by rustling with nets. We were able to catch creatures such as frogs and loaches, which are rarely seen in the city.
Finally, everyone participated in a relay race! It was a competition to see which team could pass the baton fastest through the muddy rice paddies.
Some children fell down, but everyone got thoroughly muddy and enjoyed themselves.
And so, we enjoyed about an hour of activities in the rice paddies. After this, we rinsed our feet lightly with water and returned to the entrance of Hello Woods.
After the activity, you can use the shower rooms to wash off the mud cleanly before heading home. Each shower room is a private room, and there are partition curtains installed inside each room.
Since the clothes will get muddy, it is advisable to bring a complete change of clothes. Families who actually participated mentioned, "We came in clothes that we didn't mind getting dirty." If you don't have clothes that you don't mind getting dirty, it might be a good idea to participate in swimwear or similar.
In the city, opportunities to even see rice fields are rare, so by immersing yourself in natural environments like soil and mud, you can experience many things such as textures, materials, smells, and the air.
Also, this is a great opportunity to move your whole body to the fullest, isn't it?
The children who participated expressed their satisfaction with comments like "It was fun" and "It felt great."
Since this is an activity that is hard to experience in everyday life, if you are interested, be sure to check the activity page!
Details of the activities here >>
