Rice Planting Time,

but with a difference,

in the Japanese village of Inakadate, in Aomori Prefecture, rice has been planted not for it's obvious reason, to be eaten, but as a growing work of art,

each year these farmers plant rice of different color to create new artworks,

rice seedlings that have been genetically engineered to produce a variety of colors, black, dark red, yellow and white, which are mixed with the local green-leafed variety to produce intricate design,

 the designs are first worked out by computer,

 then hundreds of volunteers plant the rice as directed, 

 black and the normal green rice,

the results are best seen from above, and with this in mind viewing platforms are erected for the thousands of visitors flocking to see the rice field pictures, on the good news front there is no charge to view the rice fields, but with donations and helping volunteers it actually works out at a better investment for the farmers and the area around the fields than growing rice to eat!