Imagine if you got bored of planting crops all day and decided to spice things up a bit. We’re willing to bet that you wouldn’t come up with an idea that was nearly as awesome as this one. In the 90s, the village of Inakadate in Japan, decided to turn their farmland into rice paddy art. But this isn’t just any simple art project. It’s so intricately detailed and beautiful, and it tells a story of ancient Japanese legends. But you can really appreciate it better from high above. But that still doesn’t stop thousands of tourists from checking this breathtaking art piece out.It takes seven different kinds of rice to create the various types of colors, and a thousand volunteers from the village of Inakadate, to masterfully pull this off.
So, every April, village officials hold a conference to decide what the design will be. Then, after a digital
The process is grueling and can take up to three months, but the 1000 volunteers that help out with the planting are more than happy to do it as it helps give tourism in their village a big boost.
This year, the artwork reflects the legend of the eight-forked serpent known as Yamata no Orochi, who must battle the Shinto god of sea and storms, Susanno. Now that’s a cool way to put a village on the map.
**You’ll never fully appreciate the incredible work of rice paddy art until you see it. In the meantime, check out this video. It’s the next best thing.**