Religious Customs
Wheel-shaped Paddy Fields
Known in Japanese as ‘kuruma-da’, these fields get their name from the fact that rice is planted in a circular fashion, as opposed to the usual style of planting in straight lines. These old-style paddies can still be seen in the suburb of Matsunoki and at the Hida Folk Village, which has a replica of the aforementioned paddy.
It is said that it produced rice for ceremonial offerings at Ise Grand Shrine, and so rather than using manure, the paddy was fertilized with organic plant compost. Polluted water is likewise not allowed.
Location: 1775 Matsunoki-cho, Takayama City, and at Hida-no-Sato
Access: About 10 minutes from JR Takayama Station to Hida-no-Sato by car