Magnificent Terraces Layered in a Mountain Valley: A Japan's 100 Best Rice Terraces Settlement
About this spot
The moment you emerge from the Ini Tunnel, multiple layers of rice paddies spread before you across the mountainside. About 320 rice paddies cascade in steps across a valley at 450 to 550 meters elevation. Hiroshima's only selection for Japan's 100 Best Rice Terraces, these paddies—preserved through stone wall construction—continue their traditional rice cultivation to this day. At the settlement entrance, there's a panoramic viewpoint offering excellent views. Depending on when you visit, the terraces transform through different seasons: mirror-like water after planting, lush green in summer, and golden grain at harvest. A breathtaking landscape where the quiet rhythm of a mountain village flows.
Tips
There's a small parking space at the viewpoint before Ini Tunnel, but spaces are limited. The village roads are residential—drive slowly and do not enter the paddies or embankments. This is important local etiquette.
Best time to visit
Allow about 40 minutes. As evening approaches, slanting light accentuates the shadows of the ridges, making the terraces appear three-dimensional.
Access & map
731-3702 Naka-Tsutsuga, Aki-Ōta, Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture
Model course featuring this spot
Sandan-kyō Kurofuchi and Noi Dam Gorge Trekking
Hiroshima
Explore features & model courses
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