After driving along the surprisingly narrow Prefectural Road 32 for a while, this breathtaking view appears on your right. There’s a parking lot for about 10 cars, and a sign asking visitors to proceed a little further down the farm road to enjoy the view without disturbing agricultural work.
These terraced rice fields are said to stretch from an elevation of 220 meters to 420 meters at the foot of Mount Kurakake, and currently consist of about 400 rice paddies (apparently, there were around 1300 paddies at their peak). I don’t think photos quite capture it, but seeing them in person, they are truly vast. And knowing that 20 farming households are tending to all these paddies, it really puts the scale into perspective.
I noticed someone relaxing in the very front part of the terraced fields, and looking closer, I was surprised to find it was a really well-made scarecrow! It gives a lively, nice vibe.
It seems that clean water springs from the mountainside around here, nourishing these rice paddies. Although I didn’t get a close look, there appear to be various insects like dragonflies, creating a beautiful satoyama (traditional Japanese rural landscape) that’s truly healing.
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