Mirror paddies and morning cloud seas
May to early June for flooded terraces; October and November for morning clouds.
Tourism source ↗Hundreds of rice terraces like fish scales in Matsudai, Tokamachi. In spring and autumn early mornings, clouds often fill the valley; in May the flooded terraces reflect the sky. These are private farms: watch from the road and do not enter the fields.
💡 Curated exact-place photo verified against its Wikimedia Commons file page.
This image is available for download and commercial use.over 1920x1280 Image download. <a href=" https://search.find47.jp/en/i/6zHyn " rel="noreferrer nofollow">search.find47.jp/en/i/6zHyn</a>Reference photo · selected conditions are not photographed yet
Capture month unconfirmed · Historical photo, not a live view
AUTUMN · Oct
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Weather for your date
Today shows live hourly weather. Future dates show the best available report.
18°C
Clear sky
💧 0% rain chance · wind 5 km/h
Hourly forecast
18°💧 0%
18°💧 0%
20°💧 0%
21°💧 0%
21°💧 4%
22°💧 35%
18°💧 62%
17°💧 80%
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Packing checklist
No tips added for this spot yet.
Parking
Hoshitoge viewing parking
AVAILABLE
SUV / high-roof friendly
Small car park at the viewpoint; do not stop on farm roads.
Parking source ↗
Directions to Hoshitoge Rice Terraces
Leave the start blank to choose your current location in Google Maps. The pin is an approximate landmark; check the entrance and live services in Maps.
A DIFFERENT JAPAN, EVERY MONTH
When to see this place
Typical viewing windows. Weather and bloom dates vary each year; these are not live forecasts.
Suitability
Stroller: Not recommended
Nursing room: Not available
Noise level: quiet
Kids: Check terrain, weather and current access before travel.
Rules
Fire: no fire
Water access: none
Drones: permit required
Nearby places
Within 30 km, closest first.
NiigataTakada Castle
Edo-period castle grounds in Joetsu with a rebuilt three-storey turret, celebrated for one of Japan's great cherry-blossom and night-lighting displays.
24 km away
NiigataKiyotsu Gorge
One of Japan’s three great gorges, with sheer walls of columnar rock. A 750 m tunnel leads to viewing points, and its last chamber reflects the gorge in a shallow pool, an artwork made for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field. The tunnel is paid and may close in heavy snow.
26 km away
NiigataKota Shrine
A shrine in Joetsu, one of three claiming to be the chief shrine of former Echigo Province, associated with the monk Shinran.
28 km away
NiigataKasugayama Castle Ruins
The mountain stronghold of the warlord Uesugi Kenshin in Joetsu, with trails up through earthworks to a summit view over the city.
29 km away
Sources, photo credits and verification
Place information: Official tourism source · Reviewed 2026-10-13
- 1. This image is available for download and commercial use.over 1920x1280 Image download. <a href=" https://search.find47.jp/en/i/6zHyn " rel="noreferrer nofollow">search.find47.jp/en/i/6zHyn</a> · Koichi Hayakawa · Source ↗ · CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. 星峠の棚田 · Ibaraki101c · Source ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. Hoshitoge rice terraces · Nihongo1234 · Source ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0