Volunteers Harvest Rice from Terraced Paddies in Wajima; Crop Was Successful Despite Damage from Earthquake, Torrential Rains

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, September 18, 2025

WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture — About 100 local residents and volunteer workers harvested rice at the Shiroyone Senmaida terraced rice paddies in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday. The rice terraces, a nationally recognized scenic spot overlooking the Sea of Japan, were heavily damaged by the January 2024 Noto Penninsula Earthquake and heavy rains in September in the same year.

Rice was planted at 250 of the 1004 paddies on the site, double the number that were planted last year. Across the golden fields, harvesters’ faces streamed with sweat as they worked.

The earthquake caused cracks in the terraces and damaged the irrigation ditches. The area also suffered damage from landslides caused by last September’s torrential rains in the area. Despite the damage, locals repaired the paddies and planted rice there in May.

Tomokazu Shirao, 61, a leader of a local group that manages the paddies, said, “Thanks to everyone’s help, we were able to harvest the rice. We’ll keep working to restore the fields to what they were.”