Tanbo art
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese project in which people use rice of various types and colors to create a giant picture in rice fields.
were looking for a way to revitalize their village. Archaeological exploration led to a realization that rice had been grown in the area for more than 2000 years. To honor this history, the villagers started a rice field behind the town hall. With the paddy
as a canvas, the villagers cultivated and used four different types of heirloom and modern strains of rice to create a giant picture in the field. To allow viewing of the whole picture, a mock castle tower 22 meters high was erected at the village office. In 2006, more than 200,000 people visited the village to see the art.
For the first nine years, the farmers created a simple picture of Mount Iwaki before going to more complex designs.
Following Inakadate's example, other villages such as Yonezawa
in Yamagata prefecture, have started to create their own tanbo art.
to the logos of Japan Airlines
and To-o Nippo, a local newspaper, for a reported 2,000,000 yen. The members of the local landowners' organization, along with the former mayor, protested this, saying that "if the plan to show an advertising pattern is not removed, the land will not be rented next year." By a narrow margin, the village revitalization group voted not to have the advertisements, and the seedlings that were planted were removed.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese project in which people use rice of various types and colors to create a giant picture in rice fields.
History
In 1993, the people of Inakadate, AomoriInakadate, Aomori
is a village located in the Minamitsugaru District of east-central Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the village had an estimated population of 8,421 and a density of 369 persons per km². Its total area was 22.31 km².-Geography:...
were looking for a way to revitalize their village. Archaeological exploration led to a realization that rice had been grown in the area for more than 2000 years. To honor this history, the villagers started a rice field behind the town hall. With the paddy
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
as a canvas, the villagers cultivated and used four different types of heirloom and modern strains of rice to create a giant picture in the field. To allow viewing of the whole picture, a mock castle tower 22 meters high was erected at the village office. In 2006, more than 200,000 people visited the village to see the art.
For the first nine years, the farmers created a simple picture of Mount Iwaki before going to more complex designs.
Following Inakadate's example, other villages such as Yonezawa
Yonezawa, Yamagata
is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 91,704 and the population density of 167 persons per square kilometer...
in Yamagata prefecture, have started to create their own tanbo art.
Inakadate motifs
The following is a list of the motifs that have been used in the Inakadate pictures.- 2009 – SengokuSengoku periodThe or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
military commanders, Napoleon - 2008 – EbisuEbisu (mythology)Ebisu , also transliterated Yebisu or called Hiruko or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami , is the Japanese god of fishermen, luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children...
, Daikokuten - 2007 – HokusaiHokusaiwas a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting...
– from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: "The Great Wave off KanagawaThe Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave or simply The Wave, is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai. An example of ukiyo-e art, it was published sometime between 1830 and 1833 as the first in Hokusai's series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji , and is his most famous work...
" and "South Wind, Clear Sky" - 2006 – Tawaraya SōtatsuTawaraya Sotatsuwas a Japanese artist and also the co-founder of the Rimpa school of Japanese painting. Sōtatsu began to work as a fan-painter in Kyoto. Later, he rose to work for the court as a producer of fine decorated papers for calligraphy. He was highly influenced by Kyoto’s courtly culture...
, "Fujin and Raijin" - 2005 – SharakuSharakuis widely considered to be one of the great masters of the woodblock printing in Japan. Little is known of him, besides his ukiyo-e prints; neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known with any certainty...
– "Otani Oniji", UtamaroUtamarowas a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints . His name was romanized as Outamaro. He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga...
– "Anthology of Poems: The Love Section" - 2004 – Shikō MunakataShiko Munakata, was a woodblock printmaker active in Shōwa period Japan. He is associated with the sosaku hanga movement and the mingei movement. Munakata was awarded the "Prize of Excellence" at the Second International Print Exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland in 1952...
– "Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of Shakamuni Buddha" and "Queen Mountain God" - 2003 – Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, "Mona LisaMona LisaMona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
"
Production
Every April, the villagers meet and decide what to plant for the year. Prior to planting, farmers sketch out the designs on computers to figure out where and how to plant the rice. In 2007, 700 people helped plant rice. In Inakadate, the fields used are approximately 15,000 square meters. Agreements between landowners have allowed for larger pictures to be created.Advertising controversy
In 2008, a plan was enacted due to an increase in operating expenses. Under this plan, the lower part of the field was changed from being DaikokutenDaikokuten
In Japan, Daikokuten , literally, god of great Darkness or Blackness, is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. Daikokuten evolved from the Hindu deity, Shiva. The name is the Chinese and Japanese equivalent of Mahakala, another name for Shiva....
to the logos of Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
and To-o Nippo, a local newspaper, for a reported 2,000,000 yen. The members of the local landowners' organization, along with the former mayor, protested this, saying that "if the plan to show an advertising pattern is not removed, the land will not be rented next year." By a narrow margin, the village revitalization group voted not to have the advertisements, and the seedlings that were planted were removed.
See also
- Inakadate, AomoriInakadate, Aomoriis a village located in the Minamitsugaru District of east-central Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the village had an estimated population of 8,421 and a density of 369 persons per km². Its total area was 22.31 km².-Geography:...
- Paddy fieldPaddy fieldA paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
- Hill figureHill figureA hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural...
- Nazca LinesNazca LinesThe Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The high, arid plateau stretches more than between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana about 400 km south of Lima...
- Crop circleCrop circleA crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rapeseed. Crop circles are also referred to as crop formations, because they are not always circular in shape. While the exact date crop circles began to appear is unknown, the documented...