Who knew that rice paddy fields could be a piece of art?! This blew our minds.
These fields were planted with different kinds of rice to create ginormous elaborate artwork. (You can see a person walking on the road as an example of a scale in the photo block below.) Each year, they have a different design or scene, plant the rice then reap the harvest when it's time. They did Star Wars one year and this year they have two separate Japanese scenes. The ones we visited were in the village of Inakadate, Aomori Prefecture.
The field pictured above was inspired by the Japanese folklore, "Momotaro," which means "peach boy." We hopped in the car and drove a couple of miles to the next venue to find a field inspired by “The Legend of Yamata-no-Orochi," a Japanese mythology (pictured below).
It was so interesting!! We read that the entire village partakes in planting and reaping. It really gives a new meaning to, "It takes a village."
Below is an up close look at the growing rice. We went in August which seemed like the perfect timing due to the height of the fields. Aren't the colors spectacular?
There is a lookout tower at both fields so that you can see the fields from the bird's eye perspective. They also had a colored stone display with Princess Diana's face (see below for bird's eye and up-close perspectives). The were a bit hard to find - but definitely worth the trip if you're in the area. We were in awe of the design work and teamwork that must take place every year to create such amazing works of art! Find out more info here.
