Traditional Rice Planting Festival Held in Shirakawa-go

May 28, 2026 | News On Japan

GIFU, May 28, 2026 (News On Japan) - Traditional rice planting was held on May 27th in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, where women dressed as saotome carefully planted Koshihikari rice seedlings as traditional rice planting songs echoed across the historic village.

The rice planting festival, held in the gassho-style village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture, takes place every year around this time in an effort to preserve the peaceful atmosphere of Japan’s traditional rural farming landscape, with this year marking the 41st edition of the event.

As songs sung by local residents filled the air, rows of women in traditional saotome attire carefully planted the rice seedlings by hand. Many foreign tourists also visited the event, enjoying the recreated scenes of old-fashioned Japanese rice planting set against the backdrop of Shirakawa-go’s iconic gassho-style houses.

Source: CBC

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Traditional Rice Planting Festival Held in Shirakawa-go

Traditional rice planting was held on May 27th in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, where women dressed as saotome carefully planted Koshihikari rice seedlings as traditional rice planting songs echoed across the historic village.

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