Terraced Rice Fields of Tokamachi
- Kevin Warren
- Jun 19
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 16
A Landscape Etched by Water and Time
In Niigata Prefecture’s Chuetsu region, the Hoshitoge Terraced Rice Fields of Tokamachi unfold across steep hillsides like a mosaic art piece. With over 200 paddies carved into the slopes, these terraces are a testament to centuries of agricultural ingenuity and community resilience . While Niigata is renowned for its premium rice and ornamental koi, the interwoven narratives of these cultural icons are deeply rooted in the region’s geography, traditions and deep reverence for nature. Nearby, the Gimyo and Kamou rice terraces echo this narrative, each with its unique contours and stories. Together, they form a triad of landscapes that not only sustain communities but make up the heritage locals work hard to sustain.
A Visit with Kenji Makita Rice Farmer
It’s early June when I visited Hoshitoge Rice Fields to spend a day with local farmer Kenji Makita. Overcast, rainy, it wasn’t the best day to be out in the rice paddies photographing the work of a Hoshitoge Rice Fields farmer. Makita San begins by donning his boots and preparing rice plants for hand planting. Yes, modern-day equipment does do most of the planting, making life of a rice farmer much easier than days gone by. Reality, however, requires that hand planting take care of those areas missed by the machinery.
The technique is to pinch 3-5 plants and their roots out of a tightly packed bunch and bury their roots into the paddy. Hunched over, feet buried in mud, hand planting is a tedious task. There may be an occasion that pulling those boots out of the mud doesn’t go as planned, with the farmer ending up laid out in the water and mud of the rice paddies.
On this day, I’m accompanied by Hironori Hoshi, a representative of the town of Tokamachi who arranged my day with Makita San. Hoshi San is familiar with the work to be done and joins in to help with the day’s work. This speaks to the community effort that is employed to continue the legacy of the Hoshitoge Terraced Rice Fields.
Rice Farmer Kenji Makita maintains 17 rice paddies in the Hoshitoge Terraces. Living minutes from the terraces
Makita San has all of his farm implements nearby, outside his home. Photography ©KevinSWarren2025
Community Stewardship and Cultural Preservation
In the highlands of Niigata’s Chuetsu region, the Hoshitoge, Gimyo, and Kamou terraced rice fields have survived for centuries thanks to strong community stewardship. Each area has its own preservation group composed of local residents or farmers. For example, Hoshitōge’s 200-plus paddies are cared for by the Hoshitouge Rice Terrace Preservation Association, a volunteer organization formed in 2013 by villagers determined to carry on their ancestors’ legacy. Likewise in Kamou, the hamlet’s farmers and elders established the Gimyo Terraced Rice Field Preservation Association to maintain their famed stepped paddies. Even the smaller Gimyo rice terrace, renowned for mirror-like reflections of cherry blossoms, is not forgotten. A local agricultural company (Toronoki Farm) has taken a leading role in managing and farming the terraced plots in partnership with the Gamou community. All three sites were selected in 2022 for Japan’s “Tsunagu Terraced Rice Field Heritage” program, which recognized 271 exemplary terraced landscapes nationwide for active conservation efforts. Tokamachi City (which encompasses Hoshitoge, Gimyo, and Kamou) had 14 terraced districts honored, the most of any municipality, reflecting the robust local initiatives at work. These community-led groups organize the maintenance of the paddies, repairing banks, managing water, and cultivating rice – so that the storied landscape and its multi-functional benefits (from water retention to erosion control) can be passed to future generations.
Kenji Makita is accompanied by community member Hironori Hoshi who regularly commits to work in the Rice Fields.
Photography ©KevinSWarren2025
Seasonal Rhythms and Communal Traditions
The annual cycle of rice cultivation in Niigata’s terraced fields is closely tied to community rituals and rural traditions. Spring in Chuetsu brings the end of the heavy snows; as the last drifts melt in April, mountain villages prepare for planting. By mid-May the hillsides erupt with pink blossoms of the taniutsugi shrub, known locally as the “rice-planting flower” because its blooming signals that transplanting season has arrived. The planting itself may be accompanied by small ceremonies: in some communities elders offer a Shintō prayer or a sip of sake to the field god for a good harvest, and neighbors work side by side in an age-old yui labor exchange, helping one another row by row. Even for newcomers, the taue (rice transplanting) is a festive collaborative affair – often followed by a shared meal of onigiri rice balls and foraged mountain vegetable stew to thank all hands for their help.
Summer is a time of lush green growth – and hard work keeping the paddies weeded and watered. The terraced fields form a vivid quilt of green that draws photographers and sightseers, but behind the scenes the locals are diligently managing each plot. Many terraced communities also embrace creative uses of the paddies in summer.
In Yamakoshi (northern Chuetsu), for example, farmers carry on the unique tradition of raising Nishikigoi carp in the flooded terraces once the rice is planted. The Nishikigoi aid in weed control since they enjoy eating the weeds as a food source. Every May, right after transplanting, thousands of brightly colored carp fingerlings are released into Yamakoshi’s stepped ponds – a practice dating back over a century in this area famed as the birthplace of ornamental koi. The sight of red and gold carp swimming among young rice shoots is spectacular and deeply symbolic of the dual livelihood (rice and koi) that Yamakoshi’s people developed. Come autumn, the grown carp are netted out as the water levels drop, to be overwintered in indoor tanks. This integrated rice-fish farming system, harnessing abundant snowmelt water, earned Yamakoshi recognition.
Rice and Koi Working Together
In 2003, the area was selected as an Important Cultural Landscape in Relation to the Industry of Agriculture and Fishery. It was also approved as the first Japan Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage System, as a “rice production and nishikigoi feeding system utilizing snow.”
Autumn is the season of reward. By early-late September or October, the terraced paddies turn a shimmering gold as the rice ripens. Harvest in these villages remains a communal endeavor. Neighbors gather to cut the rice, many still using traditional sickles to hand-cut the stalks. In Kamou and Matsudai, one can see lines of bundled rice sheaves hung on wooden racks along the terrace edges, drying in the sun and wind as farmers have done for generations.
The harvesting work is often accompanied by gratitude ceremonies. Some communities hold an “Otaue Matsuri” or harvest thanksgiving where a shrine priest might bless the harvest and villagers perform folk dances. Even if there is no formal festival name, the act of bringing in the rice is treated as a celebration. In one noted gathering, residents of Matsudai performed a sacred kagura dance for visiting volunteers after a long day of reaping, as a gesture of thanks and to honor the gods of the fields. Such moments highlight how the entire community comes together at harvest time, not just to collect the grain but to reaffirm social ties and cultural heritage built around rice cultivation.
By the time the first frosts arrive, the rice is safely stored, and thoughts turn to winter – when deep snow will blanket the terraces and farming gives way to offseason tasks.
Recruitment of “Guardian"
The opportunity to help protect the cultural heritage of the Tokamachi community and it’s rice fields exists for everyone.
From fiscal year 2025, a new "Guardian" will be formed and members will be recruited widely. The membership fee will be used as an expense for the maintenance and preservation of rice terraces. In addition, in order to connect the terraced rice fields of Hoshitoge to the future, it is important to have many people buy and eat the rice grown here. "Hoshitouge Terraced Rice" is 100% from Hoshitoge Terraced Rice. It is a safe and secure rice that can see the face of the producer. Until now, "Hoshitoge Nosan" has been selling it, but from this year, it will be sold at the "Hoshitouge Terrace Protection Association" including the cost of rice terraces conservation. When purchasing a member-only terraced rice field preservation experience (with rice and facility use benefits) or advantageous terraced rice, we will give you a "guardian sticker". We would like to join your strength and connect the "Hoshitoge Terraces" to the future while enjoying it without difficulty. " We sincerely ask for your warm support in order to pass on the scenery of the terraced rice fields that Japan is proud of to the next generation through the "Guard Corps”.
If you’re interested in becoming a guardian; click here.
Another method of support for the rice terraces is the rental of a cabin sitting above it all. The cabin is multilevel
with a shower and toilet area on the lowerst level and an outdoor kitchen below the sleeping cabin pictured. Views
of the terraced rice paddies are priceless. For more information on renting Click Here.
Photography ©KevinSWarren2025
Rice Production Numbers for Niigata Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture consistently ranks as Japan's top rice producer, contributing 8.26% to the nation's total rice yield in 2023 . The region predominantly cultivates Koshihikari, a variety esteemed for its taste and quality. Recent challenges, such as climate change and an aging farming population, have prompted the adoption of resilient rice strains like Shinnosuke and the integration of advanced agricultural technologies
Climate Awards for the Rice Fields
In addition to it’s many accolades, Chuetsu regions, Hoshitoge rice has won the highest three stars in the "visualization" label (Green Food System Act) that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will promote from 2024. It evaluates and displays greenhouse gas reductions that reduce the generation of methane gas by drying and agriculture that is friendly to all kinds by the number of stars. [ Registration number 2024-1013-
0468]
That’s all from Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan
The Hoshitouge, Gimyo, and Kamou rice terraces are more than picturesque landscapes; they are living chronicles of human adaptation, resilience, and creativity. Their connection to the art of koi breeding adds a layer of cultural richness, illustrating how communities harmonize with their environment. For travelers and koi enthusiasts alike, visiting these terraces offers a profound experience—a glimpse into a world where every contour of the land tells a story of tradition, beauty, and enduring legacy.
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