Rice Field Art in Photography
An obscure art form emerges in photography
Somehow, I managed to live and practice photography in Japan for an entire year without ever hearing of rice field art. But if you're looking for the ultimate story in pictures, you can't miss this stunning art form. Why did it take me so long to discover it? I guess my stodgy little town had more important things on its mind, like how to survive the five feet of snow periodically dumped on us. After all it's a country that inexplicably refuses to consider innovations like insulation and central heating.
In Japan, we had rice fields in abundance. Of course, they had their own unique beauty, from the tiny frogs that called them home to the neatly symmetrical blend of greenery and water. But we didn't have anything to rival the photography of rice field art.
Rice field art?
Part of the reason I didn't get to practice photography of rice field art during my stay in Japan was because I wasn't living in Inakadate, the village specializing in the discipline. Fortunately, somebody is, and they've kindly shared their photos online.
It's not difficult to find rice field art photography on the internet, but I'm particularly fond of this site because they do such a great job of chronicling the process. Every year, Japanese farmers create intricate and beautiful pictures by mixing red rice seeds with their regular seeds in special patterns. As the seeds sprout, beautiful scenes emerge in the fields. This complex process results in amazing aerial photographs of a unique and beautiful "canvas." I wonder just how they can bear to harvest.
It's photoshop! It's photoshop!
Some Photoshop fanatics have, unfortunately, made people suspicious of some forms of interesting photography. Various sites showcasing photos of rice field art have long commentaries beneath them pointing out all the "obvious" signs of "photoshopping". If you're one of the nay-sayers, the best thing I can recommend is checking out Inakadate village's homepage.
If you don't read Japanese, you might not find it terribly informative, but there's some fantastic photography of the rice field art in progress. There's even a phone number, so if you're really a cynic, find yourself a Japanese translator and demand the truth from the Inakadate municipal government.
So many cool things to photograph, so little time
These pictures really illustrate one of the best things about online photo sharing: namely, how an obscure Japanese village can share its art form with the entire world. Thanks to photo sharing, we can all experience rice field art photography without leaving the comfort of our homes.
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