Hoshitoge Rice Terraces

Also written: 星峠の棚田 · 星峠的梯田

The terraced rice paddies create mirror-like reflections and dramatic seas of cloud, forming a classic Japanese landscape. It is highly prized by international photographers and travelers.

Niigata Chubu Townscape & Scenery

About this place

The Hoshitoge no Tanada in Tokamachi, Niigata, is a terraced rice field mosaic of roughly 200 paddies covering about 30 hectares on a hillside at around 300 meters elevation. Known as Echigo-Matsudai Tanada-gun, it is listed among Japan's Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields and Japan's rural landscape selections, and gained national fame when its mirror-like flooded paddies were used in the opening sequence of NHK's 2009 Taiga drama Tenchijin. Each paddy is irregular, varying from a few square meters to over 300 square meters, creating a fish-scale pattern. The best viewing periods are late April to late June before planting, and late October to late November after harvest, when water-filled fields reflect sky and sunrise. Early morning often brings a sea of clouds filling valleys. Photographers queue from 4 a.m. for the first light. The terraces sit on private farmland; visitors must stay on two designated viewpoints within 10 meters of parking, preserving the site. In summer the paddies turn deep green, in winter they lie under 2-3 meters of snow, showing four distinct faces year-round. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship. Visitors enjoy seasonal changes, local food specialties, and easy access via public transport or rental car. Please respect private lands and carry out trash. The site remains a living cultural landscape, its beauty sustained by ongoing community stewardship.