Shiroyone Senmaida

Traditional rice fields sparkle in winter illuminations

Shiroyone Senmaida in Ishikawa Prefecture is a series of terraced, rice cultivating hillsides that overlook the Sea of Japan. Located in the Noto Peninsula, these rice terraces are considered a place of striking beauty and representative of Japan’s unique agricultural heritage. Each year local volunteers plant seedlings in the small fields. Farmers bring in the harvest using traditional hand tools.

Elevated wooden boardwalks allow access to the site and winding pathways extend through the rice fields and down to the oceanside. In wintertime, Shiroyone Senmaida comes to life during the night with the Aze No Kirameki illumination.

Over 25,000 eco-friendly LED lights are strung up through the rice fields for a brilliant explosion of light that changes color every 30 minutes. The spectacle is free to view and runs from mid-October to mid-March.

How to get there

The Shiroyone Senmaida hillsides are best accessed by car. Buses depart from Kanazawa Station every 90 minutes. The trip takes around three hours with a transfer at Wajima Ekimae bus stop.

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