Tanbo art (田んぼアート tanbo āto, also tambo āto) is a Japanese project in which people use rice of various types and colors to create a giant picture in rice fields.
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In 1993, the people of Inakadate, Aomori were looking for a way to revitalize their village. Archaeological exploration led to a realization that rice had been grown in the area for more than 2000 years.[1] To honor this history, the villagers started a rice field behind the town hall. With the paddy as a canvas, the villagers cultivated and used four different types[1] of heirloom and modern strains of rice to create a giant picture in the field. To allow viewing of the whole picture, a mock castle tower 22 meters high was erected at the village office.[1] In 2006, more than 200,000 people visited the village to see the art.[1]
For the first nine years, the farmers created a simple picture of Mount Iwaki[2][3] before going to more complex designs.
Following Inakadate's example, other villages such as Yonezawa in Yamagata prefecture, have started to create their own tanbo art.[3]
The following is a list of the motifs that have been used in the Inakadate pictures.
Every April, the villagers meet and decide what to plant for the year.[1] Prior to planting, farmers sketch out the designs on computers to figure out where and how to plant the rice.[3] In 2007, 700 people helped plant rice.[1] In Inakadate, the fields used are approximately 15,000 square meters.[2] Agreements between landowners have allowed for larger pictures to be created.
In 2008, a plan was enacted due to an increase in operating expenses. Under this plan, the lower part of the field was changed from being Daikokuten to the logos of Japan Airlines and To-o Nippo, a local newspaper, for a reported 2,000,000 yen. The members of the local landowners' organization, along with the former mayor, protested this, saying that "if the plan to show an advertising pattern is not removed, the land will not be rented next year." By a narrow margin, the village revitalization group voted not to have the advertisements, and the seedlings that were planted were removed.[4][5][6]