Gigantic Straw Sculptures at Japan's Wara Art Festival
Huge lions, eagles, crabs, spiders, other animals, and mythical creatures made of leftover straw from the seasonal harvest, invade the Niigata landscape. The giant sculptures are part of the Wara Art Festival — Wara, which means ‘rice straw’ in Japanese — an event that takes place since 2008, and is a collaboration between Tokyo art students and the local agricultural community.
All images from Wara Art Festival Japan
Modern Usage of Rice Straw
The idea of regional revitalization by creating artwork made of rice straw was suggested by Shingo Miyajima — a professor at Musabi of the time. Rice straw is created as a byproduct of rice production and was utilized as feed livestock, fertilizer, and to craft items for the household since ancient times. Due to lifestyle changes and the modernization of agriculture, this tradition is now presented in a modern way.
30 Ft High Sculptures at Wara Art Festival
The partnership started back in 2006 and resulted in the first Wara Art Festival several years later. The monumental figures reach up to 30 ft high and are created by artisans of the farms, known as the Nishikan Ward, with the help and youthful exuberance of the Musabi students. The sculptures range from common animals seen across the forest to mythological beings found in Japanese folklore.
