Nostalgic scenery of early summer at Asuka Village

When I took these pictures in late June right after the farmers finished planting rice seedlings to the paddies, it was relatively cool with rainfall on and off.  In two weeks, it got sweltering in heat as the rainy season came to an early end.

 

Hosokawa area

Terraced fields and paddies are common in the countries with vigorous slopes.  In Japan, where about 73 percent of land is mountainous with scattered plains and inter-mountain basins only about 25 percent, there are many places noted for the beautiful terraced paddies.  Asuka, Nara Prefecture, is one of them.  Terraces are farmed by hand. 

This is a vantage point overlooking the Hosokawa area.





There were a lot of terraced paddies throughout Japan, but it has become difficult to keep rice cultivation there because of the drastic drop and aging of agricultural population.  To keep the landscape and traditions, which have sustained generations for centuries,  some voluntary people have been working with the initiatives by the communities in recent years.

Frequent rainfall is needed by the farmers during the rice-planting time which falls on the start of the early smmer rainy season.  

 

 

I like to see the blue skies in the rice paddies filled with water.



Hosokawa area in the drizzle

Mosaic-like landscape of rice terraces would be a work of art created by farmers for the purpose of producing food.  The terraces blend in with the natural scenery and give visitors a great sense of peace and comfort. 

One of just another ordinary scenes between the paddies

The Asuka River flows through thousands of years.
The locals in the area lead a life that has changed little over the years.

Asuka is one of the most important spiritual and cultural assets of Japan.

See how it is so in autumn.
On a sunny autumn day at Inabuchi, Asuka Village
 Strolling around Asuka.