Sake Rice: The Foundation
The rice used to produce sake (nihonshu) is not the same variety as the rice eaten at the Japanese table. Sake-specific rice (shuzo-kotekimai) has been bred over centuries to produce grains with particular characteristics suited to fermentation: larger grain size, a high central starch core (shinpaku) that is easily accessible to koji mould, and lower protein and fat content that would otherwise contribute off-flavours to the finished sake. Over 100 varieties of sake rice are registered in Japan, though a small number dominate production – most importantly Yamada Nishiki (from Hyogo Prefecture, considered the premier sake rice variety) and Omachi (from Okayama, the oldest documented sake rice variety still in production).
The cultivation of sake rice requires specific agricultural conditions: cooler temperatures during grain-filling, rich soils, and careful irrigation management. The terraced rice paddies of the Tamba region (Hyogo), the Niigata lowlands, and the mountain valleys of Nagano and Akita represent the primary sake rice landscapes, and visiting these regions during the growing season (June to October) offers insight into the agricultural foundations of sake production that is absent from brewery visits alone.
Tanada: Japan’s Terraced Rice Paddies
Terraced rice paddies (tanada) carved into steep hillsides are one of Japan’s most visually striking agricultural landscapes, created over centuries to maximise cultivable area in a mountainous country where flat valley land is scarce. The maintenance of terraced paddies requires intensive labour and the cooperation of entire communities to manage the complex irrigation channels that distribute water from summit to valley. As rural populations decline, tanada maintenance has become a preservation challenge, and many terraced paddy landscapes have been registered as cultural heritage sites and supported through tourism and volunteer programmes.
Shiroyone Senmaida (the Thousand Rice Paddies) on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa is the most celebrated tanada landscape in Japan, with approximately 1,200 small paddies cascading down a steep slope to the Sea of Japan. The site is particularly spectacular at dusk when LED lights installed within the paddies illuminate the terraces – a programme that has made Shiroyone Senmaida a photography destination year-round. The Maruyama Senmaida in Mie Prefecture and the tanada of Hata in Nagasaki offer similarly dramatic terraced landscapes with active visitor programmes.
Paddy Art (Tanbo Art)
Tanbo art (rice paddy art) is a contemporary tradition in which rice varieties with differently coloured husks are planted in precise patterns to create large-scale images visible from elevated viewpoints during the growing season. The practice originated in Inakadate Village in Aomori Prefecture in 1993 as a rural revitalisation initiative and has since spread to dozens of municipalities across Japan, with the designs growing increasingly elaborate – from simple geometric patterns to detailed portraits and landscape scenes covering multiple hectares.
Inakadate Village remains the most sophisticated and visited tanbo art site, with new designs created each year visible from an observation platform and the village hall. The designs typically incorporate historical Japanese imagery, local landmarks, or contemporary pop culture references. The growing season viewing period runs approximately from late June through September. Attendance at major tanbo art sites during this period can be substantial; visiting on weekdays outside of golden week provides a more comfortable experience.
Rice Harvest Experiences
Hands-on rice harvesting experiences (inekari taiken) are offered at farms and agricultural tourism operations throughout Japan in September and October, allowing visitors to participate in the traditional rice harvest using hand sickles (kama) alongside modern combine harvesting. These experiences are concentrated in rural areas with agricultural tourism infrastructure, particularly in Niigata, Akita, Yamagata, and the mountain valleys of Nagano. Harvested rice is typically processed and returned to participants as polished rice for taking home.