Yoko Minamino has been growing rice for the past three years. Rice balls after planting rice are "the best"

Singer and actor Yoko Minamino (58) appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) broadcast on July 24th. She talked about her rice farming, which she has been trying for the past three years, and her hobby of mountain climbing.

Minamino celebrates 40 years since his debut in June 1985, which was his 18th birthday. "It feels like it's gone by so quickly, but when I look back on each moment, it feels like a long time has passed," he said.

Three years ago, she started farming rice in Maizuru, Kyoto. "I'm not good at sports and I'm a pretty indoor type, but I love rice so much. If I love it that much, I thought I'd like to try growing it myself. I was invited by a fellow musician to start growing rice," she revealed.

She said with a smile that the rice balls eaten after planting are "the best." "You start to treasure each and every grain more than ever, and when it's time to harvest, you pick up all the rice that has fallen from the tassels. You can't leave a single grain behind."

Her hobby is mountain climbing. "I used to wonder what everyone is thinking when they go mountain climbing. But when I walk in nature, I enjoy looking at the flowers and hearing the sounds of birds, but I also find it helps me sort out my feelings. Even if I have a problem, I think it's better to think about it in a place with fresh air than at home thinking, 'What should I do?'" she said, explaining the appeal of mountain climbing.

Her first climb was Mount Fuji. "I've tried three times so far. I go to see the sunrise, but the weather is always bad. I can't stop until I see it when the weather is good," she said.