This Japanese Village Grows Beautiful Murals Made of Different Colored Rice
By Leanna Chan
June 13, 2019
Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the village of Inakadate, Japan each year to see beautiful art murals made of different colored rice.
Initially as part of the revitalization effort in the early 90s, the village of Inakadate decided to create giant murals using seven different colors of rice, according to My Modern Met.
Over a thousand locals come to volunteer and work together in order to plant the rice.
A conference is held every April to decide what the design will be for the next year. The paddy art is usually created in the image of local folklore. After deciding on what the design will be, officials make digital mockups for art teachers that then transform them into concept drawings. Afterwards, markers are placed in the fields to map out the image before the rice is planted. The planning process takes up to three months to complete.
One example of their designs was Yamato no Orochi, the eight-forked serpent and Susasnoo, the Shinto God of the sea and storms. Others have included Momotaro, the folklore of the peach boy.
“We didn’t think the rice paddy art would become as popular as it is now,” said vice Mayor, Yukio Kasai.
“Now, people everywhere from Tokyo to Osaka associate Inakadate as the village with rice paddy art.”
Check out more of the rice field below:
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