Today was the second of our four days biking on the
beautiful Noto Peninsula, which juts out like a bent finger from the north shore of
Honshu. While the views all day were incredible, one of the most fascinating
sights was the Senmaida Rice Fields (or "1000 Rice Fields"). There
are actually 1004 rice fields terraced on the side of a mountain, all owned or
tended by locals. Each September two couples are selected by lottery to have
their wedding ceremony take place at Senmaida, in events that are open to the
public.
After a scenic, hilly 60 mile ride, we arrived at our
lodging, a ryokan adjacent to Battleship Island (so named because it is shaped
like a battleship). A wonderful feature of our accommodation was that we had our
own onsen on our private deck, which was ideal after a challenging biking day.
The pictures from today tell the story best:
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| Wajima morning market, specializing in seafood, lacquerware, and handicrafts |
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| Senmaida Rice Fields: 1004 rice fields terraced on a hillside |
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| Overlooking the Senmaida Rice Fields |
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| View from a lookout high above the Sea of Japan. We cycled up that road in the distance to arrive at the lookout. |
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| Battleship Island, adjacent to our hotel |
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| Our own private onsen (hot springs bath) |
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| In the dining room, overlooking the sea |
