The mountain of Kurikoma at the border between Miyagi and Iwate shows a horse-shaped snow remnant on its slope. It is middle to late May. The word "Kurikoma" means literary a horse with brown hair in archaics. It is said that this is a sign for time to transplant rice seedling to paddies from nursery.
     Recently, many farmers, working also in the city, do it earlier in the "Golden Week", in the end of April to early May. The Golden Week, public long holidays, is convenience for the farmers to do it, becase their working places in the city are also in holidays making their times in home. Earlier grown rice plants, however, reach the grain filling phase in mid summer. Because rice grains ripen at the hottest days will be porous, the authority suggests farmers to prolong the transplanting.