By KAZUHIRO NAGASHIMA/ Staff Writer
January 21, 2024 at 18:36 JST
Golden ears of rice carpet terraced paddies at Shiroyone Senmaida in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in September 2022. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture--Terraced rice paddies here that overlook the Sea of Japan and are a popular sightseeing spot were scarred by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day.
Numerous cracks appeared in Shiroyone Senmaida, a set of 1,004 rice fields, large and small, along with fallen rocks.
Landslides collapsed parts of some rice paddies while groundwater partially flooded other areas.
The earthquake elevated the ground level along the coastline.
Paddies at Shiroyone Senmaida, designated as a place of scenic beauty by the central government, are usually filled with water in mid-April ahead of rice planting in early May.
But at this point, it appears difficult for preparations to go ahead as in normal years.
“I wonder what we should do and how. All I could do was to sigh,” said a 60-year-old resident who cultivates the land.
“It will take time to repair the damage. I want to check terraces one by one and start growing rice again.”
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