Hamanoura Rice Terraces

The Hamanoura rice terraces, on the western coast of Kyushu facing the Genkai Sea, are ranked among Japan's 100 most beautiful terraced rice fields — a recognition of both their scale (over 300 individual terraces climbing the hillside) and their seasonal perfection. In mid-April through early May, the paddies are flooded for transplanting; the sun setting over the Genkai Sea reflects in hundreds of individual water mirrors simultaneously, creating a visual effect of cascading light that photography websites describe as 'the staircase to the sun.'