Kehara Terraced Rice Paddies
The terraced rice paddies of Kehara have sustained the people of this small mountain village for about 1,000 years. To maximize arable land, approximately 600 rice paddies were built into the steep terrain. This created a beautiful undulating landscape that has been selected as one of the Top 100 Rice Terraces of Japan. There is also a traditional waterwheel, as well as an observation deck overlooking the village.
Kehara lies on an ancient route that connected the former imperial capital of Kyoto with the Tango region. There were once as many as 36 homes with 136 villagers living here, but today only 13 houses remain. It is a tight-knit community that welcomes guests through a number of events, including rice-planting activities, a community rice paddy ownership system, and seasonal blueberry and blackberry picking.