Fairfield by Marriott Mie Kumano-Kodo Mihama is recruiting participants for a scarecrow-making workshop at the Maruyama Senmaida rice terraces, taking place on Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Kumano City, Mie Prefecture. The event is open to guests staying at the hotel the night before, and is hosted by the Kumano City Furusato Promotion Corporation. Participants can interact with local residents while getting a hands-on feel for traditional rural culture at Maruyama Senmaida, one of Japan's Top 100 Rice Terraces.
About Maruyama Senmaida
Maruyama Senmaida is one of Japan's largest rice terraces, spreading across the slopes of the Maruyama district in Kiwa-cho, Kumano City. Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Rice Terraces, the site is recorded as having had 2,240 paddies in 1601, but depopulation and a shortage of successors reduced that number to just 530 by the early Heisei era. Restoration efforts by local residents determined to protect the terraces handed down from their ancestors have since brought the count back up, and 1,340 paddies now maintain the landscape's beauty today.
The terraces take on different charms through the seasons — mirror-like reflections of the sky in spring, lush green rice swaying in summer, golden ears of rice in autumn, and striking stone walls in winter. By July, the rice planted earlier in the season has begun to grow, filling the terraces with vivid green as a refreshing summer breeze moves through the surrounding mountains.
Workshop Overview
The scarecrow-making workshop gives participants the chance to build a scarecrow — a figure that plays an important role in watching over the growing rice — with their own hands. Guided by local residents, participants will work together to complete a single scarecrow, which is then placed among the rice terraces to watch over the fields. The finished scarecrows are also entered into a "Scarecrow Contest," where each one's individuality and creativity add warmth to the terraced landscape.
Fairfield by Marriott Mie Kumano-Kodo Mihama has taken part in Maruyama Senmaida's ownership program since 2024, with hotel staff joining in activities such as levee repair and rice planting. This workshop was created so that guests can share in the appeal of the rice terraces and the connection with the local community that the staff have experienced firsthand.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (a decision on cancellation due to weather will be made by 12:00 PM on Friday, July 10)
- Venue: Maruyama Senmaida
- Eligibility: Guests staying at Fairfield by Marriott Mie Kumano-Kodo Mihama on Friday, July 10, 2026
- Participation fee: ¥1,500 per person (junior high school age and up, tax included; payable by credit card only at check-in)
- Capacity: 10 participants
Schedule:
- Guests travel individually from the hotel to Maruyama Senmaida (approximately 30 minutes by car)
- 9:00 AM — Arrive at Maruyama Senmaida, scarecrow-making workshop
- 11:00 AM — Lunch (nagashi somen, flowing noodles)
- 12:00 PM — Event ends
Times may shift slightly depending on how the work is progressing.
What to bring:
- Clothing and shoes that can get dirty
- A drink to stay hydrated
- A towel
- Sunscreen and a hat are recommended
Please note that the Kumano City Furusato Promotion Corporation may take photos or video on the day for publicity purposes.
How to Participate
After booking a hotel stay, contact Fairfield by Marriott Mie Kumano-Kodo Mihama at 05979-2-3301 to let them know you would like to join the Maruyama Senmaida scarecrow-making workshop.
Application deadline: 5:00 PM, Wednesday, July 8, 2026
