Sodeshi Rice Terraces

Sodeshi Rice Terraces consist of roughly 400 individual paddies arranged across sloping land between mountains and the Sea of Japan in Kyoto Prefecture. The fields step down the hillside in a pattern that follows the natural contours of the coastal terrain.

The terraces developed on land raised by an earthquake, where coastal erosion then shaped the slopes into their current form. This geological process created ground suitable for rice cultivation along the hillside.

The terraces show how local farmers have adapted rice farming to steep coastal slopes, using water channels that guide seasonal flows downward through each level.

The best time to visit is from May through June when water fills the paddies and creates the most striking appearance. Getting there is easiest using public transportation from nearby railway stations that run regular service.

Each spring the landscape transforms when water fills all 400 paddies and creates a vast reflecting surface that mirrors the sky. This brief seasonal display of flooded fields is what makes the place known across Japan.