Art is the perfect tool to boost tourism in a place. It is the reason why many buildings, villages were not demolished. We’ve seen different mediums of art being used for different purposes, but what we’re about to see now is completely different.
As part of a revitalization project in the early 90s, a Japanese village, Inakadate, decided to use large-scale rice paddy art . Using seven different kinds of rice as their color palette, they managed to pull out the craziest designs ever seen.
Over a thousand local volunteers come together each year to help with the planting process, which usually takes about three months. Over the course of of time, the designs have evolved in complexity and now draw hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
The designs for each year are chosen in a conference held every April. When the theme is set, the village officials make basic digital mockups, which are defined by the local art teachers. Then markers come in handy to map out each drawing before the planting begins.
Each 15,000-square-meter mural often celebrates local heritage and folklore, such as this year’s designs, which depict the legend of Yamata no Orochi (the eight-forked serpent) facing off against the Shinto god of sea and storms, Susanno.
h/t: [Colossal, Great Big Story]