Shiroyone Senmaida

Overview

Shiroyone Senmaida is a cluster of small rice terraces in the town of Shiroyone, Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, arranged across a slope overlooking the Sea of Japan. Located about 8 kilometers east of central Wajima, it is designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty.

Highlights

• ●The terraces cover roughly 4 hectares of sloped land with an elevation difference of about 50 meters facing the Sea of Japan
• ●The fields numbered 1,004 before the recent earthquake, a figure still noted on local signage
• ●Designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2001
• ●Registered in 2011 as part of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System site 'Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi'

History

The terraces are said to have been cultivated since around 1700, continuing a long tradition of rice farming from the Edo period onward. They were designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2001, and an ownership program was introduced in 2007 to support local farming and preserve the landscape. In 2011 the site was registered as part of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System 'Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi'.

Map

37.4254, 136.9998 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head east along the coast from central Wajima toward Shiroyone Senmaida
2. 2View the full sweep of terraces descending toward the Sea of Japan from an elevated point
3. 3Stop at the nearby roadside station to see local produce and scenery
4. 4Walk along the paths between the fields to see the individual terraces up close

Did you know?

💡 The smallest of the terraces covers only a very limited area, and the name Senmaida ('thousand rice fields') is said to reflect the sheer number of small plots.

Nearby spots