Kikyouhara - Kikyouhara

...Located in the southern part of the Tokamachi Basin, settlements and farmland have developed on the river terraces of the Shinano River and its tributary, the Kiyotsu River. Kikyohara, on the lower terrace surface on the east bank of the Kiyotsu River, was developed as rice paddy by the former village headman Murayama Gorobei during the Tenmei era (1781-89). The upper terrace surface had poor water availability and was only used as extensive alternative farmland until World War II, but a national pilot project was started in 1966, and water from the Kiyotsu River was pumped up, turning 200 hectares into rice paddies.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Kikyohara" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…十日町盆地南部にあり，信濃川と支流清津川の河岸段丘上に集落と耕地が発達する。清津川東岸低位段丘面の桔梗（ききよう）原は，天明年間(1781‐89)に旧田沢村庄屋村山五郎兵衛によって開田された。上位段丘面は水利が悪く，第2次大戦前までは粗放的な切替畑に利用されていたにすぎなかったが，1966年から国営のパイロット事業がすすめられ，清津川の水を揚水し，200haが水田化された。…

※「桔梗原」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報