Rice fields are a common sight in the Japanese countryside and an image of nostalgia for many people. The fields start as flooded paddies in the early summer and turn into seas of green and gold waves as the rice grows and matures through the season. The crop of rice is then usually harvested in the fall, although some southern regions may plant more than one crop per year.
Some places famous for particularly nice rice patty landscapes include the Noto Peninsula, Shodoshima and the Echigo Tsumari region in Niigata Prefecture.