The only paddies in Hiroshima Prefecture to be selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Rice Fields
About 1 hour by car from downtown Hiroshima, the Ini district is sloping land that forms a basin surrounded by mountains. As soon as you come out of the tunnel, the view suddenly opens up and the sight of beautiful rice fields carved into the hill appears. The district has been greatly admired from within Japan and abroad as a valuable cultural property that has survived from Japan’s ancient past. Along with the fact that the Ini Rice Terraces are the only paddies to be selected as one of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Top 100 Rice Fields, they have also been introduced on America’s CNN Web News as one of Japan’s 31 Most Beautiful Places. The geometric pattern formed from the 324 paddies and the walkway among them is virtually an art piece. From the local observatory, you can get an overall view of the rice fields separated by the stone walls.
A beauty that forms over the seasons as the rice progresses from first planting
The rice planting that ends between late May and late June is reflected on the surface of the water filling the paddies which is ideal for sightseeing. The rice that has grown between July and August breaks out in a sea of green. In early September, the rice ripens, forming a golden carpet. With the blossoming of the surrounding cosmos, the season is a time in which all of Ini District is alive with color. The month of January when the area is blanketed in snow, there is a completely different scene revealed in the midst of tranquility.
Experience traditional farming methods at events which occur twice a year
Twice a year, the Ini Rice Terraces Experience Sessions are held in tandem with the farming of the rice. Work takes place on the June rice planting and the harvesting of the rice in October, and the harvested rice is dried in an ancient method known as hadehoshi. Prior reservations are required for the events which come with a lunch including the local rice from the paddies.