I know what I like

July 14, 2009 9:32 AM

4 different kinds of rice planted carefully in deliberate patterns == art.

It's in Japanese, but the pictures are readily understandable.

posted by Chocolate Pickle (29 comments total)

Here are some others.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:34 AM on July 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

More.
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 9:40 AM on July 14, 2009

I scrolled down the photos thinking, "nice colors, pretty patterns, nothing too complicated though, HOLY CRAP THOSE ARE FREAKING DUDES ON HORSES."
posted by brain_drain at 9:41 AM on July 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

I wonder if you could make a magic eye rice paddy field
posted by doobiedoo at 9:41 AM on July 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

And the official site. [Google Translate]
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 9:45 AM on July 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'd love to know how they controlled the planting process to get right.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:51 AM on July 14, 2009

Previously
posted by DU at 9:51 AM on July 14, 2009

Clearly photosynthesized. I can tell from the panicles and having seen quite a few plants in my time.
posted by yoink at 9:52 AM on July 14, 2009 [23 favorites]

How cool is that? Feeding the stomach and the soul. I like it.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:54 AM on July 14, 2009

I wonder if They used a GPS on the planter to work that out.
So beautiful.
posted by Iron Rat at 9:58 AM on July 14, 2009

Wow... however they are doing this it is beautiful.
posted by Mastercheddaar at 9:59 AM on July 14, 2009

So when the aliens are surveying us from their invisible ships in orbit, they will see giant martial images of warriors on horseback?

NICE GOING JAPAN, WAY TO GET US ALL KILLED
posted by jbickers at 10:00 AM on July 14, 2009 [5 favorites]

However this got made, damn it looks good.
posted by pnevares at 10:16 AM on July 14, 2009

Here's a series of pictures, showing the progress of the planting and growing, and a similar series on the official site. Even more fun: time-lapse video!

Designing this wouldn't be too tricky: make the design, square it off, and associate the squares to the large field. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but that's how I'd do it.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:35 AM on July 14, 2009

The previous link that DU pointed out has a shot of the planting (apparently), but it's hard to glean any details from the shot.

I'd imagine they just prepare the image in Photoshop, posterize it to 4 colors, print out a planting chart for each row, divide the field into a grid with twine or something, and give row charts and seeds to a bunch of people.
posted by ixohoxi at 10:35 AM on July 14, 2009

...and I like what I know... it's getting better in your wardrobe...

Oh, sorry...was distracted by the post title.

Wow. How very cool. How on earth do they do this. Is the entire field gridded out and then planted by hand? Is rice planted as seedlings or seeds?

Somehow this wouldn't be as cool in the US, pictures contained in strange irrigation circles. Maybe if they did Family Circus cartoons.
posted by hippybear at 10:36 AM on July 14, 2009

*Looks for a "Hello Kitty" pattern. Disappointed.*
posted by Danf at 10:40 AM on July 14, 2009

I wonder about the harvest. Is it just for art or does someone still get to eat it?
posted by DaddyNewt at 10:47 AM on July 14, 2009

Okay, I now feel completely inadequate.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:15 AM on July 14, 2009

I think they just gave random seeds to random people and Jesus made it happen.
posted by jimmythefish at 11:16 AM on July 14, 2009

actually, it seems even more complex...look at the last 2 images in the first link...they're anamorphically stretched. ie: they're not designed to be seen from directly above (in which case you simply copy the image), but from a certain vantage point, probably a rooftop or viewing platform. see how the second-to-last image looks 'straight on', but the land it's on is at a crazy angle?. it's a bit of added complexity to distort images so they work this way, but, ok, not that hard if u use photoshop. still...wow.
posted by sexyrobot at 11:32 AM on July 14, 2009

*Looks for a "Hello Kitty" pattern. Disappointed.*

Well, they did Doraemon. Is that good enough?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:49 PM on July 14, 2009

"I'm not fat. I'm just anamorphically stretched."
posted by sour cream at 1:14 PM on July 14, 2009

This is really cool.
posted by sandraregina at 2:05 PM on July 14, 2009

That is beautiful, I wonder what kind of planning goes into mapping out that visual?
posted by TonyDanza at 2:38 PM on July 14, 2009

Doraemon and deer dancers. More on Doraemon, if you're interested, first published some 5 years before Hello Kitty came about.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:02 PM on July 14, 2009

amazing and beautiful... but obviously fake
posted by idaniboy at 4:19 PM on July 14, 2009

This page from the same blog from last October indicates that they do harvest the rice, which is something I've wondered about every year when I see these images. Neat! I didn't think I was going to see anything new, Chocolate Pickle, but I did.

(I like the ducks. hee!)
posted by wintersweet at 4:42 PM on July 14, 2009

I seem to remember (from a tv show a while back) that the design is made to be viewed from the top of the town's castle, and that it's a community effort to plant the rice - by hand. When it's harvest time, everyone helps with the harvesting and then they all make it into.... onigiri? I think and eat it.
posted by emmling at 4:21 AM on July 15, 2009