Illuminations are a popular winter event all across Japan, and one of the more unusual spectacles this year is this massive light-up of rice terraces in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. Located in the Noto Peninsula on central Japan’s Honshu island, the city’s little coastal town of Shiroyone is home to 1,004 small rice paddies set onto steep slopes facing the sea. Collectively these stunning rice terraces are called Shiroyone Senmaida, and they are known as one of Japan’s Special Places of Scenic Beauty.
Shiroyone Senmaida’s annual light-up festival Aze no Kirameki is runs until March 13. A total of 25,000 solar-powered LEDs have been installed in the rice fields, switching between pink, green, gold and blue lights every 15 minutes. Don’t worry, you won’t be left stumbling in the dark. Just follow the illuminated walking path leading into the terraces and you’ll be able to see the sparkling lights up close. In February, the illuminations start at 5.50pm, and at 6.15pm in March. The lights automatically switch off after four hours.
There are no train stations near the hillside rice terraces. There are, however, infrequent buses from Kanazawa Station (with one transfer). Your best option for getting there is to drive from Kanazawa Station, which is two hours away.
Click here for more information on Shiroyone Senmaida.
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