Kei University Conducts Fieldwork at "Ini Rice Terraces," One of Japan's Top 100 Rice Terraces

Kei University (President: Mutsuhiro Arishin, Hiroshima City, Naka Ward) held a fieldwork event on Sunday, June 7, 2026, where Associate Professor George HIGGINBOTHAM and 10 university students visited the Ini district near Akiota Town to assist with rice planting and conduct traditional rural fieldwork.

This area is known for its numerous small rice terraces spread across the mountainous region and is a famous spot within Hiroshima Prefecture. Unfortunately, due to aging (population decline), this traditional landscape is facing a crisis, and local residents require external support during this period when labor is needed.

As the rice terraces are too narrow for large machinery, most of the work must be done manually. For many local residents who continue to work in the fields even into their 70s, this is very strenuous labor. According to locals, about 200 households lived in this village a generation ago, but the population has now decreased to only 120 people, most of whom are over 60 years old.

As soon as we got out of the car, we noticed the clear air and abundant nature of this place. In contrast to downtown Hiroshima, there were frogs, tadpoles, and insects everywhere. Although it was the rainy season and raining that day, since we were already prepared to get wet (and muddy), the rice planting work was not significantly hindered, and we worked alongside other participants (three international students from Hiroshima University and volunteers also participated that day).

After planting seedlings in several rice paddies, we were invited to the village community hall for a shared lunch. The main dish was, of course, rice (with miso soup), and local wild vegetable dishes such as bracken and bamboo shoots were also served.

After lunch, we had planned to take a walk around the village or forest, but due to the rain, this was postponed to another day. As we were leaving, the locals invited us to come again during the harvest season in September or October.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone in the Ini district who cooperated with this fieldwork, and to Mr. Kurihara for assisting with the travel arrangements.