This Japanese Village Creates Massive Rice Paddy Art Every Year

• Since 1993, the village of Inakadate in northern Japan has been revitalizing its culture through amazing rice paddy art, or tambo āto. Every May, about 1,300 volunteers come together to plant different varieties of rice in an intricate design. By the time summer comes along, their hard work is in full bloom, attracting thousands of tourists to the site. From about mid-June until early October, the rice paddy art can be viewed from the observatory tower. The best time to see the art, however, is in July, when the colors of the strains best suit the design. 

• Over the years, the designs have become more and more extravagant. Among the creations are homages to Western film and literature like Gone With the Wind, Roman Holiday, and Star Wars as well as many depictions of Japanese mythological characters and actors from local television shows.

~ My Modern Met