A thousand paddies sustained by the sea
On a steep coastal slope of the Noto Peninsula, 1,004 individual rice paddies cascade down toward the Sea of Japan. This landscape, the Shiroyone Senmaida, is a result of agricultural engineering that relies on a delicate hydrological balance. The name "Senmaida" translates to "a thousand rice paddies," a near-accurate description of the site. The entire system is recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), a designation it received in 2011 for its preservation of traditional farming culture and its unique relationship with the environment.
The primary challenge here is water retention. The paddies are exceptionally small; the average plot is only about 18 to 20 square meters, with some barely large enough for two stalks of rice. This small size, combined with the steep 50-meter elevation drop and constant sea breezes, creates conditions for high evaporation. The system's water is supplied almost entirely by rainfall and local streams, with no major river to feed it. An irrigation canal built around 400 years ago directs this water to the highest paddy, from which it flows down to all the others. The reason for the paddies' survival is the very sea that contributes to water loss. Frequent coastal fog rolls up the hillside, bathing the rice plants in moisture. This atmospheric water condenses on the leaves and soil, supplementing the fresh water supply and offsetting what is lost to the sun and wind.