Small Japanese Town Creates Gigantic Works of Art in Rice Paddies

I absolutely love it when a community pulls together to create art. Take this small town of Inakadate in the Aomori Prefecture, for example. The tiny population of only 8,000 residents is primarily agriculture-based, filled with fields and rice paddies. Each summer, the town bands together and puts those rice paddies to artistic use, creating humongous works of art in the fields.

It began in 1993 when the town decided to create mosaics made from rice plants so that they would attract more visitors. It worked successfully and drummed tons of tourists over the summer seasons. The townspeople would plant a variety of colored strains of rice plants to form different shapes, lines and colors. What happens next is art.

Each year, works include depictions of popular Japanese folktales, landscapes and even a mural based on a popular anime. It has since become a summer tradition that attracts thousands to Inakadate to see the fields firsthand.

Beautiful.

H/T, Picthx Rocket News