On Saturday, May 14, 2022, rice planting volunteers from the Higo Bank, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation, Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd., and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. participated to plant rice for the 12th “Aso Mizukake no Tanada” rice planting event for the purpose of recharging groundwater as part of SDGs activities.

At the rice planting ceremony, the Foundation’s Chief Director Kai spoke: “We are very pleased to have 10 private companies, including the Higo Bank, Ltd., cooperate in the rice planting activity this year.  On the 23rd and 24th of April, the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit was held at Kumamoto Castle Hall with the participation of heads of state and ministers from 30 countries.  Our Foundation presented in two official side events to send the message abroad about our activities of protecting and nurturing groundwater in Kumamoto.  We renewed our determination to continue our practical activities to protect and nurture groundwater in Kumamoto so that we can continue to cultivate the environment where drinking water is supplied by groundwater for many more years to come.”

Following the ceremony, the participants went off to the assigned terraced rice paddies and planted rice by hands.

We carried out rice planting activities for the purpose of recharging the groundwater with the volunteers from the following companies for the additional dates:  Adel Cars, Co., Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation, Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd., and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. on Wednesday, May 11; Kumamoto Toyota Motor Corporation on Tuesday, May 17; Kumamoto Toyopet Co., Ltd., AIM TEC Co., Ltd., and Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc. on Saturday, May 21.  Also, we installed water level gauges manufactured by farmo Co., Ltd. in the terraced rice paddies to initiate the examination of groundwater recharge rate by rice cultivation volunteers.

Please check the Foundation’s Instagram for information on the rice planting activity by the volunteers from each company and rice growth conditions.

Here is the QR code for Instagram.