JUNE 2025

Surrounded by water on all sides and blessed with abundant water resources, Japan has historically had a deep connection with water. Japan’s close ties with water span daily life and culture, including agriculture centered on rice cultivation in paddy fields. This history of coexisting with water, which can bring not only blessings but also floods and other disasters, has also impacted urban development and religious beliefs. This issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan features an interview with a scholar of folklore on water in Japanese life and introduces various aspects of Japan’s relationship with water, including terraced rice paddies, waterfalls, and other beautiful landscapes created by water. It also presents articles on waterways and dams built to manage water resources, as well as paintings with a water motif.