The 1,000 rice fields of Shiroyone 白米千枚田

Terraced rice fields are quite common in Japan, the trick is to know how to find them . There are obviously the well-known rice fields of Maruyama , located in the south of Mie prefecture. However, the rice fields of Shiroyone have nothing to envy.

Located a stone's throw from the town of Wajima , in Ishikawa prefecture, they still enjoy a certain discretion, as the Noto peninsula is still little visited by tourists .

To reach them, you have to leave the town of Wajima behind and take Route 249 north to the top of the peninsula. After about ten kilometers on this road that runs along the Sea of Japan , you come across a small area on the side, and that's where you have to stop, at the risk of missing these 1,000 rice fields that are hide below the road and to which we do not necessarily pay attention when winding along the seaside.

To read: A day on the Noto Peninsula

1,004 RICE FIELDS IN PLATEAU

However, it is a spectacle not to be missed. On the hillside are 1,000 rice fields, the most picky have even counted 1,004, which, organized in floors, descend to the Sea of Japan . Here, there are no machines to help with cultivation, everything is done by hand , because of the very nature of the terrain, which is far too steep.

If these 4 hectares of rice fields are in the hands of 12 owners , some are today too old to continue to maintain this site. A system has therefore been put in place: volunteers sponsor a plot, which will then bear their name, and for which they become responsible. This makes it possible to continue to bring this site to life, which enchants not only tourists but also the surrounding inhabitants.

Indeed, some schools have set up partnerships with farmers to introduce their students to the cultivation of rice on the terrace. The rice harvest , which takes place in September, is also a good time to bring together farmers and the surrounding inhabitants, all invited to the closing harvest festival .

To go further: Rice in Japan

AN EXTRAORDINARY NATURAL SPECTACLE

The best time to come and discover the rice fields of Shiroyone? From the month of May , when the plantations begin and the rice fields are submerged under water, creating natural mirrors. But also once summer comes and the green rice fields undulate in the wind. After the harvest and during the winter, corresponding to the fallow period, the rice fields are less colourful, but the show is still worth the detour since we can clearly see the various strata that make up these 1,000 plateaus in the landscape. .

Little more, from October to March, once night has fallen, the rice fields are lit throughout the night. One has the impression of observing a field filled with fireflies. A wonder.