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May 25 2016 10 Comments

An elderly Japanese farmer still working in the fields

The elderly in Tokyo are a hardy bunch, with a good number still working, let alone simply getting out and about. But in rural Japan, that toughness is taken to a whole new level, with backbreaking, physical work still done despite advancing years. Amazingly it’s work that’s done with a smile as well.

old Japanese farmer working in the fields

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lin says

    5/25/2016 at 5:19 pm

    She looks so sweet. I only hope I can be like that her age. 🙂 Great pic!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/25/2016 at 6:59 pm

      Thanks! Yeah, the amount of ageing farmers we saw was pretty incredible. And equally incredible was how they still manage to do such work.

      Oh, and yes, she was lovely!

      Reply
  2. Coli says

    5/25/2016 at 5:42 pm

    Lee this is an excellent picture. Beautiful colors and woman. Did you two talk about anything?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/25/2016 at 7:02 pm

      Thank you very much. Everything came together nicely, although I did have to dash down the lane to catch her.

      Nah, I didn’t want to interrupt her anymore than I already did. So just a mention about how hot it was and a big thank you for letting me take her picture. That was it really.

      Reply
  3. cdilla says

    5/25/2016 at 7:51 pm

    The colours really are lovely. The dust of the land infuses but somehow doesn’t dull her clothes. This is one of my favourite character photographs of yours.
    The ages of the people I see (on NHK) doing farm work and other heavy labour is incredible. 65 is positively young whilst 80 and 90s are not uncommon. I know some of that may be down to the program directors selection, but still, there has to be some truth to it.
    I saw a couple of programs recently on kachido ama, women who freedive for abalone and other sea creatures. The Ise Shima group both programs centred on had an average age of 65 with several in their 80s. I am torn between envying these oldsters their activity and health, and feeling fortunate I havn’t had to endure what they have probably all their lives.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/25/2016 at 10:48 pm

      Thanks. The colours were the perfect compliment to a wonderfully warm walk in the countryside.

      From what I’ve seen, there’s an awful lot of truth in it. Something I saw on this trip, and countless others into the country. Even in Tokyo, many of the areas devoted to farming seem to be looked after by people who are more than a tad past retirement age. I often wonder what will happen when these people finally decide to call it a day. Will their kids or grandkids take on the task? In most cases I strongly doubt it. So who will…?

      Reply
  4. LAObserver says

    5/26/2016 at 10:42 am

    Being happy in one’s life has more to do with longevity than just accrued calendar time.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/26/2016 at 5:09 pm

      And health too, although I suspect the daily activity of people like the woman above is one factor in their longevity.

      Reply
  5. Hans Ter Horst says

    5/27/2016 at 3:48 am

    A very warm photo, so different from the big city stares and dissaproving glances your photos often show

    Reply
    • Lee says

      5/27/2016 at 7:42 am

      Quite a difference eh? She didn’t even bat an eyelid when I suddenly appeared, camera in hand. Without a doubt a rare sight in her part of the world, yet not at all in Tokyo…

      Reply

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