If you are in Aomori Prefecture, one thing you should not miss is Inakadate’s Rice Field Art. Located south of Aomori Prefecture and just slightly east of Hirosaki, Inakadate has a long history of planting different kinds of rice to create visual masterpieces.
Unlike other versions across Japan, Inakadate has three different fields in two locations that turn into art. The first two are by the village hall, with a viewing platform shaped like a Japanese castle (see image below). The other is a couple of kilometres to the east and has its own train station!
Every year, the fields have a different image. This year, the two fields by the village hall are of a Japanese physician/bacteriologist Kitasato Shibasaburō, known as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong during an outbreak in 1894, and the Wave off Kanagawa painting by Katsushika Hokusai. Unfortunately, due to the heat this year in Japan, the Wave off Kanagawa never really emerged, and large swaths of the rice plants died.
The second site has a much larger field that is celebrating a popular anime this year: じいさんばあさん若返る or Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.
At the same location is the stone art of another famous woodblock painter, Shiko Munakata.
At the town hall, there is also an exhibition with all of the previous art they have created since starting in 1993.
Getting There and Entry Information
The easiest way is to rent a car and drive south from Aomori City. Public transportation is also an option if you do not have a car.
From Aomori, take the local JR train to Hirosaki. An express version also goes to Akita Prefecture, stopping in Hirosaki. Here, change from the JR trains to the Konantetsudou train company, which operates a line to Inakadate. You can then take this line to the “Tanbo Art Field” station. More information and scheduling can be seen on their website (in English).
Once you are there, there is a free shuttle bus that goes between both sites. It is operated by the town of Inakadate and departs every 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Entry to the viewing platforms at each location costs ¥300 each for adults. You have to pay separately at both locations.
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2 responses to “Inakadate’s Rice Field Art: Anime, History and more!”
Do you know how many man hours to plant and upkeep to keep the rice painting in pristine shape?
Do they harvest the rice at the end of the season?
…Someone you know
To be honest I am not sure. It is a village event that happens early spring where volunteers get together and plant the rice all day. There are usually a good number of volunteers but I do not know the exact details as they were not listed. They do harvest the rice at the end of the season