Sightseeing
Azumino Rice Paddy Art 2019at Azumino Swiss Village
Viewing platform is open Jun. 15, 2019–Sep. 28, 2019
This year’s theme is Idaten!
The 2019 Taiga drama (an annual historical TV series produced by NHK) Idaten: Tokyo Olympics-banashi tells the story of how Japanese athletes first made it to the Olympic Games. In Idaten, Kabuki actor Kankuro Nakamura plays Shiso Kanakuri, the first Japanese marathon runner to compete in the Olympics. For the Azumino Rice Paddy Art event, the image of Kankuro Nakamura acting as the marathon runner will be “painted” by planting various colors of ancient rice.
The art can be seen from a viewing platform in front of Azumino Swiss Village against the backdrop of the Japan Alps and tree-hedged farmhouses. Make sure you come and see how this amazing work of rice paddy art turns out!
What is Rice Paddy Art?
Rice paddy art uses real rice paddies as a canvas, in which pictures and words are “painted” with varieties of ancient rice that produce grains in different colors. Rice seedlings that make green, yellow, and purple leaves and grains are planted in a carefully arranged pattern so that a huge work of art appears as the rice grows. The image becomes increasingly vivid as the rice matures and depending on the time of the season, you can see the art in different color variations.
Although rice paddy art is created on a large scale, most works are designed to be viewed from an angle slightly above the field. Azumino’s rice paddy art will be planted in a 9,000-square-meter paddy that you can view from a 6-meter-high platform.
Azumino Rice Paddy Art 2019
Event Information
|
Viewing Period
|
Viewing Platform Hours
|
|---|---|
| 6/15Sat▶7/12Fri | 9:00–17:00 |
| 7/13Sat▶8/31Sat | 8:30–19:00 |
| 9/1Sun▶9/28Sat | 9:00–17:00 |
When is the best time to see the rice paddy art?
From mid-July to mid-August, the rice is especially voluminous and vivid in color, making the rice paddy particularly beautiful as a work of art. As the rice continues to mature after late August, the colors begin to change. This changing of colors is one of the top highlights, making it a delight to see the art’s changing expressions as the season moves on.
Viewing Platform Admission Fee
|
Individuals
|
Groups
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Adults (junior high school students and up) | ¥300 | ¥250 |
| Children (elementary school students) | ¥100 | ¥70 |
| Pre-school children (under elementary school age) | Free | Free |
Event flyer
download (Japanese)
Event location
Parking
● Coming by Car
Please park in Azumino Swiss Village area (800 spaces available), which includes the following: the main building, Saint Moritz, Kobayashi Soba Shop, Heidi-no-sato, Swiss Village Winery, Horse Land Azumino, Chushin Paper Factory.
* Please refrain from parking in the above area during large annual events.
* Cars cannot be parked in the designated parking spaces for buses and park-and-ride drivers around the main building.
* Please follow the instructions of the event and security staff during the event.
● Group Buses
Free bus parking is available at the event location (prior reservation is required).
* See the Group Reservation Form (Japanese) for details on making reservations.
Access via Public Transportation
Take the Azumino-Hotaka Seasonal Excursion Bus from Hotaka Station to Swiss Village (20 minutes). See additional details in this flyer (Timetable for Route A: East Loop Line).
Event Organizers & Supporters
Organizers
Shinshu Azumino Rice Paddy Art Planning Committee
The City of Azumino
NHK Nagano Broadcasting Station
Supporters
The Village of Inakadate, Aomori
Atsushi Yamamoto
Koji Kudo
Aomori Industrial Technology Center
Azumino Half Marathon Planning Committee
Minamiazumi Agricultural High School
Matsumoto Agricultural Development and Extension Center
Azumino Construction Association
(Supporters listed in no particular order)
