In any other places where rice grew, people either dispose the rice straws by drying or burning, or think of some innovative uses like making scarecrows and whatnot, but not in Japan. Well, at least not in Niigata Prefecture. Every August ends, a rice straw festival or “wara” is held to allow local artists to make use of these by-product of rice harvest to create stunning straw sculptures. Naturally, straws itself can’t hold up on their own and therefore, using the principle behind building thatched cottages, wooden frames were build to ensure that the sculptures stand firm and are durable enough for visitors to interact with them (like standing on them and such).
One such artist is Amy Goda, an art student in Niigata Prefecture, whose dinosaurs-inspired work of arts made the entire Wara Art Festival famous the world over and I am sure, there’s no need to explain why Goda’s works went viral. It is because they are spectacularly lifelike despite being made from straws. If you happen to be in Japan or want to see it in person, you can head on down to Uwasekigta Park in Niigata City’s Nishikan Ward, where you can admire the beauty of these straw-art in person from now up till early November.
via Bored Panda
