Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice-growing countries of east and southeast Asia including China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines. They are also found in other rice-growing regions such as Piedmont and the Camargue. They can occur naturally along rivers or marshes, or can be constructed, even on hillsides, often with much labor and materials. They require large quantities of water for irrigation, which can be quite complex for a highly developed system of paddy fields. Flooding provides water essential to the growth of the crop. It also gives an environment favorable to the strain of rice being grown, and is hostile to many species of weeds.
The word "paddy" is derived from the Malay word padi, rice.
Culture
Japan
The acidic soil common in Japan due to volcanic eruptions made the paddy field the most productive farming method. Until recently, this led to a conclusion that no farming existed in Japan before rice came from China. But this was overturned in the late 20th century by discoveries of farming from the late Jomon period. Paddy field is represented by the kanji, 田(commonly read as ta) that has had a strong influence on Japanese culture. A testimonial fact is that 田 means a piece of farmland where crops are grown in China, but it is used to represent only the paddy field in Japan. Instead, Japanese made a new kanji 畑(hatake) for those farmland not used to grow rice. Many consider paddy fields as a part of the natural landscape and a classic scene of Japanese countryside is of paddy fields tended by hard-working grandparents. The oldest sample of writing recovered is widely credited to the letter 田, lit. rice paddy field found on a pottery in an archeaological site at the present day Matsusaka, Mie dating back to the late 2nd century.
Ta(田) is used as a part of a name in many places as well as in many family names. Most of these places are somehow related to the paddy field and in many cases, are based on the history of a particular location. For example, where a river runs through a village, the place east of river may be called Higashida(東田), lit. east paddy field and the opposite side Nishida(西田), lit. west paddy field. A place with a newly irrgated paddy field, especially those during or later than Edo period, may be called Nitta or Shinden (both 新田), lit. new paddy field. In some places, lakes and marshes were likened to a paddy field and were named with ta, like Hakkōda(八甲田).
Many family names have ta as a part. On early Meiji period, the government ordered that all Japanese to have a family name and many chose to have one based on or near the place they lived or the job they had. With nearly three fourth of population being farmers, many family names were made using ta. Some of such family names are Tanaka(田中) and Nakata(中田), lit. middle of paddy field, Kawata(川田), lit. paddy field by a river, and Furuta(古田), lit. old paddy field.
See also
