In Aomori, rice and art come together to create beautiful visuals at Inakadate Village.

The village is only a 90-minute drive from Misawa Air Base and is known as the birthplace of this creative way to recreate amazing artwork using its rice paddies.

There are two rice fields in the village where you can enjoy the impressive rice paddy art. The first rice paddy field near Inakadate Village Hall, in this year, is dedicated to the classic American movies “Gone with the Wind” and “Roman Holiday,” along with a manga character of local heroin, Princess Ichi of Inakadate Castle. The second site near Road Station Yayoinosato features a Japanese movie titled “Oishii Kyushoku” (tasty school lunch), which is scheduled for release in October this year. The rice paddy art depicts a popular Japanese actor, Hayato Ichihara, who plays a middle school teacher in the movie, enjoying local Aomori delicacies during a school excursion to Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures.

Inakadate Village has been creating elaborate paddy art since 1993 and has attracted over 100,000 visitors every year, including the Emperor and Empress Emerita in 2014.

To recreate these depictions, rice plants of various colors are strategically embedded in the soil of the paddy. Today, they use seven different colored rice plants – green, dark green, purple, yellow, white, red and orange to create more complicated, more elaborate artwork, according to the official website. 

On June 1 this year, 1,000 adults and children, including the actor Hayoto Ichihara, gathered at the rice fields to embed the rice plants for the rice paddy art. Nearly two months later, the rice plants have grown to create an enormous piece of art.

A Misawa Commissary employee Yoshihito Morita and his parents, who participated in the rice planting on June 1, recently returned to the rice field to check it out.

“When I climbed up on the observation deck to see the rice field, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Morita said. “I could have never imagined that our planted rice would become such a wonderful art piece.”

You can enjoy this unique rice paddy art until Oct. 13.

Nearby, at Saruka Park in Hirakawa City, lotus blossoms are in full bloom. The spacious park is not very crowded and is a great spot for families to enjoy a day after or before visiting the rice paddies.

Visitors can enjoy the Lotus Flower Festival at the park until Aug. 17. In addition to workshops, food booths and live entertainment, you can also rent and wear a yukata summer kimono on Aug. 10 and Aug. 16.

Take advantage of the summer season to enjoy the fun activities and interesting sights!

Inakadate Rice Paddy Art

• Period: Until Oct. 13

• Location: 123-1 Nakatsuji, Inakadate Village, Minamitsugaru-gun, Aomori Prefecture

• Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

• Admission: Middle school students or older: 300 yen, elementary school students: 100 yen (both the 1^st and 2^nd rice paddy fields)

• Website

• Tel: 0172-58-2111

Saruka Park Lotus Festival

• Period: Until Aug. 17

• Location: 94 Sarukaishibayashi, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture

• Website

Misawa Air Base

related stories

• Cool down at historical Veedol Beach near Misawa AB
• A journey through Towada-Hachimantai National Park
• Exploring Japan: 4 great attractions in Hachinohe City near Misawa AB