JAPAN The Ancient Rice Fields
In this collection, veteran photographer Johnny Hymas shares
with us his passion for the source of so much of Japan's history,
culture and language: the rice paddy.
From the first green shoots of spring to the almost microscopic
rice flowers of summer, and from the sculptured rows of drying
rice straw after harvest, to the snow-blanketed terraces of winter,
Hymas shows us every aspect of the cycle of life. This book is
a celebration of a way of life that has continued almost unchanged
for two thousand years. But Hymas fears that it may also be a
memorial, because the paddies--which have survived countless
typhoons, wars and earthquakes--are now threatened by the more
insidious march of progress. As Hymas chronicles this disappearing
way of life with his photographs, he makes an impassioned plea
for Japan not to sacrifice its birthright to the modern gods
of progress.
Available in both English and Japanese
Editions
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