See the animated rice fields of Inakadate, Japan
Posted on Thursday 29 July 2010
in Japan
Heading abroad on summer holidays is an excellent way to learn about
a new culture and the beauties of a foreign land, and one of the
most interesting and celebrated lands to travel is Japan. While
most travelers will opt for more typical Japanese vacations in
Tokyo or Okinawa, a new and unique form of cultural artwork is
drawing travelers from across the globe to the northern prefecture
of Aomori.
In Aomori, which is famous across Japan for its delicious apples,
the rice fields of Inakadate have taken on a truly unique shape.
Utilizing different colored species of rice plants, local man
Koichi Hanada created ornate designs in the rice fields. Dubbing
his creation "paddy art," Hanada's work has now become an annual
tradition and the designs have only become grander.
Local mayor, Koyu Suzuki told the New York Times that the designs,
which include traditional ukiyoe-style Japanese warriors and
maidens, have become more intricate in an attempt to top the
previous years' work.
"We have no sea and no mountains, but what we do have plenty of is
rice," the 70-year-old mayor told the news provider. "We have to
create a tourism industry using our own ingenuity."
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