Like this:

Northern Japan (or Tohoku, as it is called here) is just full of surprises.  When I’m in a particularly foul mood I think I have it pegged as an isolated, dull place with little in the way of cultural stimulation.  But then I’ll discover a shrouded shrine in the hills, a beach hidden behind cliffs, a giant crow munching on a small bird (Yes, I saw that today – one of the horrifically large, scary-smart Japanese crows eating a little bird.  I swear, they are just weeks away from staging a rebellion.)  And yesterday Trevy and I were fortunate enough to find another of Tohoku’s wonderful little secrets: the rice art of Inakadate.

We had heard of the rice art from friends in Kodomari and yesterday drove two hours south to Inakadate to see it for ourselves.  For years, the village has been turning a large rice field into art by planting various colors of rice in patterns that – when seen from a tall building above – form scenes from Japanese art and history.  Trevor and I arrived at the viewing center, took an elevator to the fourth floor, climbed several flights of stairs, emerged onto a balcony, and were met by this:

It depicts a fight between Benkei (left) and Yoshitsune (right), legendary figures from medieval Japanese history.  Yoshitsune is throwing a fan at Benkei, which you can see to the right of Benkei’s head.

Benkei

Stunning, non? We could have stayed up on that balcony all day gazing down at it, but, alas, there was a long line behind us and we had to move along.  It truly was a fantastic sight.  It’s gems like these that make me glad Trevor was placed it Aomori instead of a more lively place like Tokyo.

Yoshitsune

And if you click here you can view the rice art of years past, and if you click on the specific images you will see the different phases of the rice art throughout the summer, from planting to harvest time.

Advertisement