Art in the Rice Fields of Japan

Paddy Field Art, or Tanbo Art (田んぼアート) is the creation of images and/or letters by planting different types of colored rice in the rice fields.

It originally started as a way to promote the local Tsugaru Otome rice brand. It started in 1993 when the village office staff came up with the idea that it would be interesting not only to experience rice cultivation, such as planting and harvesting rice, but also to create drawings with three kinds of rice in different colors. .

The village of Inakadate in Japan, located in Aomori Prefecture , was the first place to create rice paddy art and there are currently two locations in the village dedicated to that purpose.

At first, three different types of rice with three different colors were used, however, today up to 13 types of rice are used, with 7 different colors to make a more realistic representation of the characters in the image, their expressions, their clothes and other details.

The designs change every year with the help of the art teacher from the village school. It is drawn in perspective so the image is not distorted when viewed from an observation deck. Once a design has been decided, the rice varieties to be planted are selected and a plan is made, the positions that will serve as planting marks are determined and then marked with stakes and ropes following the complete plan.

Once the design is finished, the planting of the rice plants begins and once they have grown a little more, the art in the rice paddy is completed. What is surprising is that all this work is done by hand by the townspeople, often including children who want to participate in this event.

Currently there are other places where this art is performed in the rice fields. The most recommended places including Inakadate in Aomori are: Takasu City in Hokkaido, Gyoda City in Saitama, Soma City in Chiba and Takayama, Gunma.

This event takes place every year from early to mid-May and the collection takes place from early to mid-September, so if you find yourself visiting Japan in that period you can participate in the creation of this art (with prior registration) or visit these cities and appreciate the art in the rice fields that are made with so much effort and dedication with incredible and well-achieved results!