A Must-See World Heritage Light Display: Japan’s Senmaida Rice Terraces Illumination

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Department
 
From October each year to March of the following year, the vast seaside rice terraces in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, are illuminated with tiny lights as part of the annual illumination event “Senmaida no Hikari” (Light of the Terraces), where the colors change at regular intervals — sometimes pink, sometimes gold — creating a dreamy scene straight out of a fairy tale.

The rice terraces in Shirayone, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, are known as the “Shirayone Senmaida” (Thousand Terraced Fields of Shirayone), covering a total area of approximately 3.8 hectares and consisting of 1,004 small and large terraces. Their coastal location not only offers breathtaking views of the deep blue Sea of Japan but also a spectacularly dreamy scene when the setting sun turns the terraces bright red. Recognized as one of Japan’s “Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields” and further designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site in June 2011, this enduringly beautiful landscape has become a popular destination among international tourists in recent years.

During the “Senmaida no Hikari” illumination event, up to 21,000 solar-powered LED lights are installed across the vast terraces. Each night, dazzling neon lights can be seen, and every 30 minutes after sunset, the colors change — soft pink hues transforming into yellow in an instant, creating a truly magical scene. It’s hailed as one of the world heritage-level sights that you must see in your lifetime.