noun
harvesting rice while still green
Literal agricultural term: cutting rice before it is fully ripe, often out of necessity.
今年は台風が来る前に青田刈りをした。
This year we harvested the rice while it was still green before the typhoon came.
noun
early recruitment of students; poaching graduates before the official start date
Figurative business term: companies recruiting university students before the agreed-upon start of the job-hunting season. Often used critically.
See also: 青田買い (あおたがい)
大手企業による青田刈りが問題になっている。
Early recruitment of students by major companies has become a problem.
Compound of 青田 (aota, 'green rice field') and 刈り (kari, 'cutting, harvesting'). The figurative sense extends the idea of harvesting something before it is fully mature.