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5:02am July 11, 2013

archiemcphee:

Tanbo art (田んぼアート) or “rice paddy art" is the work of Japanese farmers who plant different strains of rice in order to transform their rice paddies into enormous living canvases. No dyes or other artificial colouring methods are used in this process. Each colour is simply a different type of rice.

“Often, hundreds of villagers work together to plant the rice by hand and create these massive works of art. While planting, different areas of the rice paddy are roped off, so people know which type of rice to put where—kind of like painting by numbers.

Rice is planted in the spring, and then harvested in the fall. When it gets close to harvest, the color changes to a beautiful hue called “koganeiro” (黄金色), which is often translated as “golden" or “honey-colored". This means the art changes as the seasons change.“

Visit Kotaku to learn more about this awesome Japanese artform.

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