Ushi Masamune, a mascot character for the 2017 National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu, is seen as rice paddy art ( in Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture)
Ushi Masamune, a mascot character for the 11th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu, also known as the wagyu Olympics, has been created as a two-dimensional art on a rice field in the Semine district of the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture.
Local rice farmers created the cow mascot, named after a famous shogun from the region Date Masamune, on an 80-hectare field using white and purple plants of four rice varieties to promote the exhibition to be held in Miyagi next year.
Some 100 local residents visited the field on Sunday, July 16, as the creators held a viewing event. The artwork can be seen in good shape until the end of July.
Local rice farmers have been creating rice paddy art since 2008, in cooperation with JA Kurikko, a local agricultural cooperative, and the Kurihara municipal government. Students of Miyagi Prefecture Kogota Agriculture and Forestry High School helped mark measurements in the rice field according to the blueprint as part of their courses. In late May, some 130 local residents participated in the planting event.