Doya Rice Terraces

A Terraced Landscape Above the Coast

The Doya Rice Terraces climb a steep slope on Fukushima Island, part of Matsuura City in Nagasaki Prefecture, with each stone-edged paddy stepping down toward the Genkai Sea. The contrast between the terraces' green geometry and the open water beyond has made this one of the region's most photographed rural scenes.

One of Japan's 100 Best Rice Terraces

Doya holds a place on the official list of Japan's 100 Best Terraced Rice Fields (棚田百選), a national recognition of exceptional traditional agricultural landscapes. The honor reflects both the scenic quality of the site and the community effort required to keep such steep, small-scale paddies in cultivation.

Traditional Farming on Fukushima Island

Local farmers still work the terraces using methods adapted to the narrow, irregular plots carved into the hillside generations ago. Retaining walls of stacked stone hold the paddies in place, a traditional engineering technique found across Japan's most celebrated terrace landscapes.

Watching the Terraces Live

The camera offers a continuous live view of the terraces and the coastline beyond, letting viewers follow the changing colors of the paddies across the growing season, from the flooded mirror-like fields of early planting to the deep green of summer growth.