[One of the Top 100 Sustainable Tourism Destinations in the World in 2021] Conservation activities in Nakayama Senmaida.

The Nakayama Senmaida rice terraces have been selected as one of the 100 best terraced rice fields in Japan.
These beautiful terraced rice fields, which form the basis of local culture such as rural kabuki, were facing a crisis in landscape conservation and passing on traditional culture as more and more of the fields fell into disrepair due to a lack of people to maintain them.

Local residents, concerned about the future of the Nakayama Senmaida, in cooperation with the local government, established the Nakayama Terraced Rice Fields Council, which has conducted surveys on the current state of the terraced rice fields, accepted university students from Japan and abroad for agricultural experience programmes, and carried out conservation activities with the aim of creating a sustainable community centered on the terraced rice fields while increasing the number of people involved. As a result of the efforts of the council and local residents, the landscape and functionality of the terraced rice fields has been maintained to a certain degree.

In recent years, the traditional event 'Mushifuri' (warding insects off) has been revived after it was used as a filming location for a movie. The Setouchi International Art Festival has brought many tourists from Japan and abroad to the area, making it a vibrant place. In addition, a certain amount of mutual consideration has developed between the lives of the people living there and tourism, such as through installing information signs to prevent tourists from entering cultivated land. While maintaining the bustle of tourism, the local landscape and culture are being protected.

The residents' love for Nakayama Senmaida has united the local community and government, and the rarity and value of Nakayama Senmaida has been reaffirmed by adding the outside perspectives brought by tourism.