Nagano sprouts with rice paddy art at Azumino Swiss Village
Rice paddy art (田んぼアート Tanbo āto) may be new to foreign visitors to Japan but it is actually still quite a young art form in Japan as well. The first piece was created in Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomori-ken) in 1993 but it really didn't take off around Japan until after 2010. It has now become a nationwide phenomenon with viewers travelling to paddyfields from far and wide to see the artwork in person.
One such location is in Nagano Prefecture’s (長野県 Nagano-ken) Azumino Swiss Village (安曇野スイス村 Azumino Suisu Mura). They have been creating rice paddy art for several years now, with this year’s theme being a depiction of local sumo wrestler and sekiwake (関脇 the third-highest rank in professional sumo wrestling) Mitakeumi Hisashi (御嶽海久司) from Agematsu (上松町 Agematsu-cho), Nagano with the art also displaying the words of encouragement “Good luck! Mitakeumi! Shinshu Azumino One Nagano” (頑張れ！御嶽海！信州あずみの One Nagano, Ganbare! Mitakeumi! Shinshu Azumino One Nagano).
A sign explaining the different types of rice used. (Image credit: Julien Manchuelle)
The artwork was completed over four days by 40 people, including local surveyors and farmers working with precision surveying equipment to plant a total of 4,300 stalks of rice in the correct position down to the centimetre. A total of seven different types of rice were used to colour the artwork in shades of green, yellow, pink, and purple. When you know how much work went into the artwork, it really helps to appreciate the skill and dedication.
The viewing platform. (Image credit: Julien Manchuelle)
The view from the platform. (Image credit: Julien Manchuelle)
As you approach the Azumino Swiss Village, you can already see the artwork from the road, but the picture doesn’t become clear until you go up to the top of the viewing platform to see it from the angle the designers intended. It’s truly an impressive piece of art considering how detailed and correct the lines and colours are arranged and all made from stalks of rice!
A close-up of the rice. (Image credit: Julien Manchuelle)
As a living piece of artwork, it gradually changes as time passes with the best viewing time being between July and August. As the season moves in September, the rice will begin to sprout and finally in October, it will be harvested during the harvest festival. It’s highly recommended to catch this seasonal and ephemeral piece of art before the harvest comes. It’s a once in a lifetime chance!
Access
To get to Azumino Swiss Village from Nagano Station (長野駅 Nagano-eki), board the Limited Express Shinano to Matsumoto Station (松本駅 Matsumoto-eki), before changing to the Oito Line (大糸線 Ōito-sen) to Hotaka Station (穂高駅 Hotaka-eki). Once at the station, it is a 20-minute bus ride to Azumino Swiss Village. If you happen to be driving during your visit to Nagano Prefecture, parking is available as well.
Shinshu Azumino Tanbo art (信州安曇野田んぼアート)
Address: Shigeyanagi Toyoshinaminamihotaka, Azumino, Nagano 399-8201
Event Schedule: 8:30am–6pm (19 June–31 August), 8:30am–5pm (1–26 September)
Harvest festival: Middle of October (TBA)
Admission fee: ¥300 (Adults), ¥100 (Children)
Tel: +81 263-72-7878
Header image credit: Julien Manchuelle
Related Articles
Julien Manchuelle
Latest Topics
