In this study, properties of the peak discharge and retention in a terraced paddy field catchment are compared to those of a forest catchment in Japan. The results show that the runoff coefficient of peak discharge in the terraced paddy field catchment is slightly larger and the concentration time is shorter than those in the forest catchment. The comparison of calculated specific peak discharge for given rainfall intensity reveals that the discharge of the terraced paddy field catchment is

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... t 1.55 times greater than that of the forest catchment. Through the analysis on retention of rainfall, it is concluded that the retention capacity of the terraced paddy field catchment is smaller and the percolation rate is lower than those of the forest catchment.