▁of ▁the ▁population ▁were ▁far mers , ▁many ▁made ▁family ▁names ▁using ▁ta . ▁Some ▁common ▁examples ▁are ▁Tan aka ▁( ), ▁literally ▁meaning ▁" in ▁the ▁p addy ▁field ;" ▁Nak ata ▁( ), ▁" middle ▁p addy ▁field ;" ▁K aw ada ▁( 川 田 ), ▁" river ▁p addy ▁field ;" ▁and ▁Fur uta ▁( ), ▁" old ▁p addy ▁field ." ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁rice ▁consumption ▁in ▁Japan ▁has ▁fallen ▁and ▁many ▁rice ▁far mers ▁are ▁increasing ly ▁elder ly . ▁The ▁government ▁has ▁subs id ized ▁rice ▁production ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁and ▁fav ors ▁protection ist ▁policies ▁regarding ▁che aper ▁imported ▁rice . ▁ ▁Korea ▁▁ ▁A rable ▁land ▁in ▁small ▁all uv ial ▁fl ats ▁of ▁most ▁rural ▁river ▁valle ys ▁in ▁South ▁Korea ▁are ▁dedicated ▁to ▁p addy - field ▁far ming . ▁Farm ers ▁assess ▁p addy ▁fields ▁for ▁any ▁necessary ▁rep airs ▁in ▁February . ▁Field s ▁may ▁be ▁re built , ▁and ▁bund ▁bre aches ▁are ▁rep a ired . ▁This ▁work ▁is ▁carried ▁out ▁until ▁mid - M arch , ▁when ▁war mer ▁spring ▁weather ▁allows ▁the ▁far mer ▁to ▁buy ▁or ▁grow ▁rice ▁seed lings . ▁They ▁are ▁trans pl anted ▁( us ually ▁by ▁rice ▁trans plan ter ) ▁from ▁the ▁ind o ors ▁into ▁fresh ly ▁flo oded ▁p addy ▁fields ▁in ▁May . ▁Farm ers ▁tend ▁and ▁we ed ▁their ▁p addy ▁fields ▁through ▁the ▁summer ▁until ▁around ▁the ▁time