Shiroyone Senmaida rice terrace [白米千枚田]
Shiroyone Senmaida
Photo by Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League
Observatory of Shiroyone Senmaida
Shiroyone Senmaida is a rice terrace on the steep slope facing the Sea of Japan.
It is located about 10 km east-northeast of the center of Wajima city.
"Senmaida" means "thousand separeted rice field".
Literally, this rice terrace has 1,004 small fields on the slope.
The difference of altitude is 56 meters, and it is about 3.8 hectares in area.
On this rice terrace, each field is too small to use any cultivating machineries.
So only human works have been done.
Shiroyone Senmaida in autumn
Photo by Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League
Harvesting in Shiroyone Senmaida
Photo by Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League
Recently, this rice fields have been cultivated by the cultivating team in this area and volunteers from all over the country, to leave this scenery and the agricultural culture for our posterity.
Each field is filled with water in late April, and rice planting is done in early May.
In summer, the rice grows and the fields are like green glassland.
Then the rice becomes golden color and is harvested in September.
Shiroyone Senmaida in winter
Photo by Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League
Illuminated Shiroyone Senmaida in winter
Photo by Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League
From October to March, the walkways between rice fields are illuminated in the evening.
Because of the great earthquake on Jan.1, 2024, the rice-fields are cracked and the irrigation facility was destroyed.
Quick restoration is needed to conserve the cultivated land and produce rice again.
The restoration is going on.
How to get here
By route bus for Ushizu-eki, about 20 minutes from Wajima bus terminal to Shiroyone Senmaida stop.
(The bus is operated every 2 to 3 hours.)
