Japanese Village Creates Art From Hues Of Rice

Each year, some rice paddies in Japan become huge, living paintings. Farmers plant different species of rice to create these amazing murals, with varieties that grow black, white, light green, bright green. The rice paddy artwork is seen as a way to attract tourists to parts of Japan that aren't near major centres or natural attractions like mountains and bodies of water. The tradition got started in the village of Inakadate, about 1000 km north of Tokyo, back in 1993, according to the Daily Mail. That's still the place to see the most impressive examples of this rice paddy artwork. Only 8,700 people live in Inakadate, but they receive an average of about 150,00 visitors each year to see the work. Other villages have joined in, including Yonezawa in the Yamagata prefecture. Planting takes place in late May, with volunteers, villagers and farmers working together to put the right varieties in the right place.