A photo surfaced on the internet recently which shows us a typical day at the office for a couple of ladies a long time ago in Japan. They look almost bored as they unload 300 kg (661 lbs) of rice each on their backs.

According to the caption this was how rice was loaded and unloaded at the time – by good old fashioned girl power. Back then (and still now in some places) rice was divided into 60-kilogram bales wrapped in straw called tawara.

And just like women, always flexing their muscles and showing how macho they can be, we can see them carry five tawara a peace.

Netizens in Japan reacted to the image with disbelief saying that “there’s no way their hips could support 300 kg of rice.” Others assumed that if the women back then could haul so much then “the men must have been able to lift a ton!”

That seems doubtful though. The men were probably off somewhere sitting on their fat butts and sipping tea. I know that’s what I’d have been doing.

Source: My Game News Flash (Japanese)