Southern Area Highlight Course

From the summit of Tori-toge Pass, an additional 15 minutes climb up the stairs leads to an observation deck offering breathtaking views of Maruyama Senmaida, one of Japan’s Top 100 Terraced Rice Fields.

Nestled in a deep mountain basin, Maruyama Senmaida is an impressive terraced rice field spreading across the steep slopes of a 1 km-long mountainside. In Keicho 6 (1601), there were 2,240 individual rice paddies, but due to depopulation and an aging population in the Maruyama area, the number had declined to just 530 by 1993.

However, through dedicated restoration efforts led by local residents, the terraces have been revitalized and now boast 1,340 paddies. The cascading rice terraces are especially mesmerizing in the morning mist and at sunset, making them one of the most iconic landscapes in Kumano City.