As water damage from torrential rains increases nationwide, initiatives for "paddy field dams"—which utilize the water storage capacity of rice paddies to prevent flood damage—are progressing in Shizuoka Prefecture. A "paddy field dam" works by raising the height of the levees around rice paddies and installing dedicated drainage catch basins to temporarily store rainwater in the paddies during heavy rainfall, thereby suppressing sudden runoff into rivers and waterways. The aim is to reduce the risk of flooding in downstream residential areas and other locations.
〜の際に= at the time of ...; during ...〜を抑える= to curb or suppress (e.g. sudden inflow)
In Izu-no-kuni City in Shizuoka Prefecture, a model project began in fiscal year 2026, establishing approximately 4,000 square meters of rice paddies with levees raised to around 30 centimeters. It is said that these paddies can store water equivalent to about three standard 25-meter swimming pools. Beyond disaster prevention, this project also aims to reduce the burden on farmers by promoting "consolidation into larger plots"—combining paddies that fell out of use due to aging populations and changes in land ownership—thereby reducing the number of farming tasks such as rice planting.
While "paddy field dams" have spread mainly in western Shizuoka Prefecture, adoption remains at around 5% of the total in the eastern region, which historically experiences frequent flood damage. In areas such as the Yasuhisa district of Mishima City—located along the middle reaches of the Kano River, which suffered major damage in the past—farmers including Shunichi Yamada are taking the lead in advancing these efforts. In addition, community-wide cooperation is expanding, with students from Numazu National College of Technology developing monitoring equipment to measure the distance to the water surface and "visualize" the effect. The goal is to demonstrate the impact through numerical data, encourage more initiatives in upstream areas, and lower the flood risk across the entire river basin.
〜にとどまる= to be limited to; to remain at〜ぐるみ= together with the whole ...; community-wide
disaster preparedness;prevention of damage resulting from a natural disaster;protection against disaster
数値
すうち
numerical value
Language Insights
•In Japan, "paddy field dams" (田んぼダム) leverage existing agricultural infrastructure to store heavy rainwater temporarily, slowing down runoff into major rivers during typhoons and torrential rains.
•The term 「見える化」 (visualizing / making visible) is a popular business and technical buzzword in Japan, referring to rendering invisible data or outcomes into clear, quantitative metrics.