The 1st Contest for Beautiful Scenes of Japanese Villages

Central Union of Agricultural Co-Operatives, Chairman's Prize

Local Culture Division

Four Seasons of a Water Wheel
Asakura Town, Fukuoka Prefecture


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The history of the waterwheels of Asakura Town (1 set of 3 wheels, 2 sets of 2 wheels) goes back to the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Managed by the farmers of the area, the wheels begin turning in the middle of May, irrigating about 35 hectares of paddies and finish the year's work in the beginning of October. Throughout the four seasons, these create the rural landscape of Asakura Town.

(This explanation was written during the year of the scenic contest.)

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