{"id":27526,"date":"2020-12-30T14:59:50","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T19:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mathkind.meetgroundswell.com\/?post_type=global-math-stories&p=27526"},"modified":"2026-06-14T20:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T00:00:52","slug":"japan","status":"publish","type":"global-math-stories","link":"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/es\/global-math-stories\/japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Jap\u00f3n"},"content":{"rendered":"

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JAPAN<\/h3>\n
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\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Planting a Painting<\/h1>\n

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By Rachel Fruin<\/p>\n

Naperville, IL, United States<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Sometimes the best ideas come from failure.<\/p>\n

In 1981, archaeologists digging near Inakadate, Japan<\/strong>, discovered evidence of rice cultivation dating back 2,000 years. Hoping to lure tourists, this small town of about 8,000 residents built an amusement park based on New Stone Age history. The tourists failed to arrive, however, and by 1993, US$106 million of debt forced town leaders back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n

Going with the Grain<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A clerk in the town hall had the ingenious idea to honor Inakadate\u2019s rice-growing legacy by using fields nearby as a blank canvas for painting in rice. Including four strains of this staple in hues of yellow, white, dark red, and green, villagers planted the paddy according to precise coordinates. From May to October, as the rice grows, an image emerges. As the rice matures, the colors deepen.<\/p>\n

At first only simple designs were used, such as the outline of a mountain with some kanji<\/em> (characters in Japanese writing). As the tanbo<\/em> paddy art grew in popularity, so did the villagers\u2019 skills, resulting in more complicated illustrations that change every year. From geishas to Godzilla to Gone with the Wind<\/em>, current designs attract hundreds of thousands of tourists.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Venture<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Inakadate officials built a 22-meter observation tower attached to the town hall that allows access free of charge. Donations are accepted, however, to cover the US$35,000 cost of renting the land. The labor of planting and harvesting is contributed by local residents, even though it can take 1200 people to produce one design. Meticulously covering 15,000 square meters with seedlings is a lot of work!<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

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Adaptation of \u201cTanbo Art in Inakadate 2012<\/a>\u201d by \u63ac\u8336. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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A New Perspective<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A notable year was 2003 when planners attempted to draw more visitors by recreating Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s famous Mona Lisa. Although a successful reimagining, because the vertical perspective hadn\u2019t been accounted for, visitors thought her body looked too heavy. That\u2019s when planners learned that they needed to skew the drawing so that it looked proportional from the viewer\u2019s angle.<\/p>\n

The success of Inakadate has led other rural Japanese towns to requisition rice paddies for artistic revenue-generation. Although each site attracts tourists, any profit is relatively modest. Selling space for advertisements was considered only once and ultimately voted down, so the fields remain non-commercial testimonies to human enterprise, persistence, and creativity.<\/p>\n

Have a suggestion for this story? We\u2019d love for you to\u00a0submit it<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Japan-GMS-rice-paddy-art_lucky-god-600-px-x-400-px.png” alt=”Aerial view of rice field art depicting a large illustrated character in shades of green crops beside a road” title_text=”Japan GMS rice paddy art_lucky god (600 px x 400 px)” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”9px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Adaptation of \u201cRice Paddy Art<\/a>\u201d by yawning hunter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Japan-GMS-rice-paddy-art_ground-level-view-600-px-x-400-px.png” alt=”Patterned rice paddies with rows of green, yellow, brown and white plants across flat farmland under a clear sky” title_text=”Japan GMS rice paddy art_ground level view (600 px x 400 px)” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”9px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Adaptation of \u201cJapan-Aomori Inakadate Tanbo Art 2015<\/a>\u201d by yari hotaka. Licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Blank<\/p>\n

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Are you a teacher who’s interested in telling this story to your students? Here are two slideshows you can use to get started.<\/p>\n