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The beautiful Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces stretch along the Sea of Japan.
Photo: Shiroyone Senmaida Scenic Preservation Council

In Japan, where mountains are abundant and flat land scarce, terraced rice fields have long been created by utilizing the slopes of mountains and valleys. One remarkable example is Shiroyone Senmaida (literally ‘a thousand rice paddies’) on Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, where around 1,000 small rice paddies line a steep slope overlooking the Sea of Japan. At sunset, the water-filled terraces reflect the sky and sea, producing a magical landscape.

Located in Shiroyone, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Shiroyone Senmaida features 1,004 small rice paddies stretching down to the coast along the Sea of Japan. This peaceful yet strong landscape is loved as a popular sightseeing spot in Oku Noto.¹ According to SORABAYASHI Takashi of the Wajima City Tourism Division, one special feature of Shiroyone Senmaida is how small each rice field is.

“Shiroyone Senmaida has many small rice paddies laid out in neat patterns that look like they are flowing toward the sea. Most are around 20 square meters, but many measure about one square meter, with the smallest being just 50 centimeters square—enough to plant only two rice stalks. Because the paddies are so small, almost all work—including repairing the embankments,² rolling the edges,³ planting, weeding, and harvesting—is carried out by hand, with only small tillers used for cultivation. These rare terraced fields keep traditional farming methods alive, passing down the knowledge, skills, and culture of past generations.”

Although the work is tough and mostly done by hand, the rice grown here is said to be extremely delicious.

“Since Shiroyone Senmaida faces the sea, there’s always a breeze, which helps keep pests away. So, aside from herbicides, no pesticides are used. Also, because the sun sets over the sea during the growing season, the fields get plenty of sunlight all day long—perfect for growing rice.”

Noto Peninsula has many steep slopes and has long faced problems with landslides. Terraced rice fields help prevent them by reducing the amount of water that soaks into the ground. This is done through tasks such as plowing and puddling,⁴ which creates a hard layer of soil called a plow pan.⁵

“The history of Shiroyone Senmaida dates back about 400 years. It began when ITAYA Heishiro,⁶ an engineer from Kanazawa who carried out improvements to the Tatsumi Canal,⁷ built the Taniyama irrigation canal in Wajima. Using this water, the Senmaida terraced rice fields were developed. Records show that by 1879, the number of rice paddies had grown to around 8,000,” says SORABAYASHI.

“Although the fields were once left unused due to aging farmers and a shortage of successors, efforts to preserve these beautiful terraces for future generations led to the establishment of the Shiroyone Senmaida Scenic Preservation Council, a Public Interest Incorporated Association.⁸ This organization has worked to maintain the terraced fields by granting subsidies and other support for cultivation. Additionally, in 2011, Ishikawa Prefecture’s ‘Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi’ was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)⁹ by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), helping make Shiroyone Senmaida even more well-known as a symbol of the region.”

SORABAYASHI explains that various efforts continue today to preserve Shiroyone Senmaida, including conservation activities by the local volunteer group ‘Shiroyone Senmaida Aikokai’ and the ‘Rice Paddies Owner System’.¹⁰

Events such as ‘Aze No Kirameki,’ which lights up the terraced fields during the off-season, also help maintain the area by promoting tourism.

In 2024, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake caused cracks in about 80% of the terraced fields and damaged irrigation canals. Restoration work is now underway, led mainly by local residents.

A visit to the area offers a wonderful chance to experience the beautiful terraced fields that the local community treasures.

• 1. The northern part of Noto Peninsula, including the cities of Suzu and Wajima, as well as the towns of Noto and Anamizu.
• 2. This process involves applying soil to the earthen walls surrounding the rice paddies to fill cracks and holes, creating a waterproof barrier. This is usually done with a special tractor.
• 3. This is the process of marking planting spots with a hexagonal or octagonal rolling frame to ensure even spacing of rice stalks. Nowadays, this is mostly replaced by mechanical rice planters.
• 4. Plowing and puddling are preparatory steps for rice planting done in spring. Plowing involves drying out the field soil and mixing in fertilizer. Puddling follows, where water is added and the soil is broken up and leveled.
• 5. The plow pan (koban) is a hard layer of soil just below the surface, formed by the repeated pressure of people, animals, and farm machinery. In Japanese, it is also called suki-doko.
• 6. ITAYA Heishiro was an early Edo period flood control engineer known for his skills in mathematics and surveying. Appointed by the Kanazawa feudal lord, he completed the Tatsumi Canal in 1632 and later worked on other irrigation projects in Toyama.
• 7. A hand-dug canal built in 1632 in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It was originally made to bring water to Kanazawa Castle and still provides water to places such as Kasumi Pond in Kenroku-en Garden and other irrigation channels in the city. It remains an important part of Kanazawa’s historic scenery.
• 8. The Shiroyone Senmaida Scenic Preservation Council was established to promote tourism of the terraced fields, support local cultivation through the Senmaida Scenic Preservation Society, and manage the owner system, all aimed at preserving the scenic beauty of Shiroyone Senmaida.
• 9. A program started by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2002 to protect traditional farming, knowledge of living in harmony with nature, and cultural landscapes.
• 10. A system where members pay an annual fee to ‘own’ a rice paddy, participate in farming events, and receive harvested rice.

By MOROHASHI Kumiko
Photo: Shiroyone Senmaida Scenic Preservation Council

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