Wakayama - Aragi Island, a tongue-shaped plateau surrounded on three sides by the sharply winding Arida River in Aridagawa, Wakayama Prefecture, is drawing attention for its spectacular terraced rice fields, which create giant geometric patterns reflecting the sun and sky during the planting season.
Located about 40 to 50 minutes by car from the town center along a national highway leading toward Koyasan, the fan-shaped terraces sit inside a dramatic bend of the river. The fields were developed as new farmland in the early Edo period and, together with the surrounding rural landscape, were designated a National Important Cultural Landscape in 2013.
In early summer, water-filled paddies mirror drifting clouds and the surrounding mountains, adding a refreshing touch to the valley scenery. As the rice grows, the fields transform into a vast green carpet before turning golden at harvest time. In some winters, the terraces are blanketed in snow. The changing scenery throughout the four seasons has made Aragi Island one of the region's most celebrated scenic destinations.
The 54 rice paddies cover approximately 2.8 hectares and produce varieties including Kinumusume, Ikuhikari, and Milky Queen. About 12 tons of rice are harvested each autumn. To preserve the rare terraced fields, the area's five remaining farming households formed the Aragi Island Landscape Preservation Association, which continues to maintain and protect the site.
In mid-May, local elementary school children took part in rice planting barefoot in the muddy fields. Since 2005, students at Yahata Elementary School have been learning rice cultivation under the guidance of members of the preservation association. On this occasion, seven third- and fourth-grade students planted seedlings while working shoulder to shoulder through the mud.
"It was my first time, but I was able to push the seedlings in deep and plant them properly," said Akane Miyamoto, a 9-year-old third-grade student. Principal Toshiki Ueda said he hopes the experience will help children develop affection for their hometown by connecting with local residents. "I want them to feel the warmth of the community and cultivate a love for their region. It is also a way of cultivating their hearts," he said.
The area is also known as the birthplace of the great-grandfather of Crown Princess Kiko. Each year on September 6, the birthday of Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, local residents have traditionally illuminated the terraces with about 1,800 candles placed along the embankments. The event had been suspended since 2018 because of typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers have decided to revive it this year as Prince Hisahito turns 20.
"We were delighted that Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko visited Aragi Island two years ago," said Yasuhiro Orimoto, the 52-year-old chairman of the preservation association. Smiling, he added, "Through exchanges with children and our connection to the Imperial Family, we want to use Aragi Island as a symbol to energize the local community."
Source: 産経ニュース
