Tanbo Rice Art

Last weekend we visited the Tanbo Rice Fields. The wikipedia link says it all much better than I could. All I'll say was that they were amazing. 

There kind of out in the middle of nowhere but they've become a huge tourist attraction.  I think they might have built this tower specifically to view the Rice Art. I'm sure it was all explained in my Japanese travel brochure I picked up.

Every year, the farmers plant a different mural. I can guess about this one based on rumors I've heard. I believe these women riding the waves represent the tsunami (again, this is a guess). 

I'm told the writing says "Don't Give Up Japan!!" The people on the right seem to represent the Japanese people affected by the March 11 earthquake/tsunami. 

Sometimes the fields are called the "painted rice fields". This is misleading because there was obviously lots of work going into planting the different varieties of rice to make the mural.

I had no idea there were so many varieties and colors of rice. I think I counted at least 7 different colors.