Fields be square, people be round-harmonious

Ougi, Otsu City, Shiga
(Japan)

Water and the ground woven into the beautiful curved lines. This is the view of the terraced fields of Ogi. People elaborated to draw water from upper terraces to lower ones as well as they did in plowing, irrigation and to grow beans along the ridges between the fields. Later, the fields were improved and by the motto "Fields be square and people be round harmonious", fields were made wider and square. And hills were turned into the housing developments and now the lake can be viewed over the houses. (A. Kobayashi)