Exploring the Origins and Art of Rice

INAKADATE

Inakadate has been a prosperous area for rice farming from ancient times all the way to the modern-day. The remains of rice paddies from the Yayoi period (300 BC-300 AD) were discovered in Inakadate, Inakadate’s rice paddy art, which started in the Heisei era (1989-2019), involves making enormous pictures in rice fields by using different colors of rice.

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1 Rice Paddy Art

A giant picture on the ground

The rice paddy art project turns rice fields into giant canvases, using different colored rice varieties like paint to create a picture. Inakadate started making rice paddy art in 1993 and now they make elaborate artworks that use seven different colors of rice. The art is designed to look beautiful when seen from an angle (from the roof of Inakadate Village Office), not from directly overhead.
*This photograph is of 2019’s rice paddy art “Oshin” ©NHK

Rice Paddy Art First Venue: Viewing Period: Early June to early October; Opening Times: 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Entrance Fee: Adults (middle school students and older) 300 yen, elementary school students 100 yen; 123-1 Nakatsuji Inakadate, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 30-minute walk from Inakadate Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line, or a 10-minute taxi ride from JR Kawabe Station.
*Please contact the following office for more details:; Chamber of Tourism Section, Planning Tourism Division, Inakadate Village Office; Tel. 0172-58-2111

The rice turns golden as autumn begins!

In June, rice paddy art fans from all over the country gather in Inakadate to start planting the rice. At first, you cannot really see the design, but once July starts, the rice grows and reaches its peak viewing period as the picture turns a splendid verdant green. From the end of August, the ears of rice start to transform into autumnal colors, and by mid-September, the field becomes a world of gold. You’ll want to visit in all seasons to enjoy the different seasonal colors and the aroma of the rice.
*There are two venues for the rice paddy art. This photo was taken from the observation deck at the First Venue. The Second Venue is the Yayoi no Sato Observation Deck at the Roadside Station Inakadate (a 2-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line).

Make your own souvenir at Yuto no Yakata

Make a mini wreath to remember your trip. At Yuto no Yakata you can make your own original Japanese-style wreath in around 10 minutes using the ears of ancient rice varieties. (The experience costs 500 yen.) They make for the perfect New Year’s decoration.

Yuto no Yakata: Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00; Closed: Mondays, end of the year; Tel. 0172-58-4689; 47 Osada Tareyanagi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 12-minute walk from Inakadate Station or a 5-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.
*The train only stops at Tanbo Art Station from April to November.

Straw Crafts: Iwaigame

Iwaigame are straw craft talismans in the shape of a turtle that symbolize longevity and continuation. In Inakadate, locals make iwaigame with purple rice, which is one of the ancient rice varieties used to make the rice paddy art. You can buy iwaigame at the Farm Fresh Center at the Roadside Station Inakadate.

The rice paddies are Inakadate’s treasure
with even swans stopping by

After the rice harvest ends and winter begins, migratory birds come to Inakadate in search of fallen grains of rice. It is the perfect place to rest on their way south. There is food, water, and an unobstructed view of the surrounding area, so it probably feels safe to the birds. The rice paddies are also important to animals; they are the treasure of Inakadate.

Right in the middle of the rice fields: Tanbo Art Station

With a very rare name meaning “Rice Paddy Art Station”, Tanbo Art Station is an unmanned station near The location of the Rice Paddy Art Second Venue. In 2017, the station building was decorated and painted by an artist It is a popular spot for photography enthusiasts as it looks just like a diorama, with the two-car train passing by the small station.

Tanbo Art Station: Ride the Konan Railway Konan Line from Hirosaki Station for nine stops. The ride is about 28 minutes long.; *The train does not stop at Tanbo Art Station during winter from December 1st to March 31st, except during the Winter Rice Paddy Art event.

A collaboration between Mt. Iwaki and art!?

There is a large piece of art to the north of Yuto no Yakata. This is CHAWONDER, an artwork featuring a rice bowl and chopsticks designed by an artist from Hirosaki.

CHAWONDER: Free entry; By Yuto no Yakata, 47 Osada Tareyanagi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 12-minute walk from Inakadate Station or a 5-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.
*The train only stops at Tanbo Art Station from April to November.

2 The Origin of Rice

The remains of rice paddies from the Yayoi period

No Yayoi period archeological sites had been discovered in the Tohoku region until the remains of rice paddies were found in Inakadate at the Tareyanagi Site. This was a very important discovery about rice farming culture in the north. In order to conserve and display this discovery, the Inakadate Relics Museum was built around the Takahi (3) Site, which are rice paddy remains that were also discovered together with the Tareyanagi Site. You can even walk on a part of the rice paddy remains.

You can touch ancient pottery at the Inakadate Relics Museum

The museum displays various prefectural Important Cultural Properties that were excavated from the Tareyanagi Site, including carbonized rice, deep pots, and stone axes. You can hold real ancient pottery in your hands and feel its texture for yourself.

Inakadate Relics Museum: Opening Hours: 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
(Closed: 12/29-1/3 and Mondays *or the following day if Monday is a national holiday).; Entrance Fee: General 300 yen, high school and middle school students 200 yen, elementary school students 100 yen; Tel. 0172-43-8555; 63 Omagari Takahi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 3-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.

Handmade straw crafts on display at the Inakadate Museum

The Inakadate Museum is an annex of the Inakadate Relics Museum. The museum displays artworks by local artists together with farming tools and folk material that you rarely have a chance to see these days, such as gloves and shoes made by hand with rice straw.

Inakadate Museum: Opening Hours: 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30); (Closed: 12/29-1/3 and Mondays *or the following day if Monday is a national holiday).; Entrance Fee: Included in the entrance ticket for the Inakadate Relics Museum; Tel. 0172-43-8555; 63 Omagari Takahi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 3-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.

3 Agricultural Snacks

Snacks made from ancient rice VS strawberry

Inakadate has been prosperous agriculture since long ago. Inakadate’s history of rice farming has developed since the Yayoi period. Ancient rice varieties have also become popular in medicinal cooking due to their rich nutritional benefits. Furthermore, Inakadate’s strawberry production is also flourishing, You can enjoy comparing the snacks made from ancient rice and the strawberry snacks.

Snacks made from ancient rice varieties at Yuto no Yakata

You can eat snacks made from ancient rice varieties at the café corner in Yuto no Yakata, where there is a warm hearth. If you order a matcha green tea or coffee set (400 yen), you can try a black rice ohagi (filled with red bean), pickled plums, and konpeito sweets with your drink. You can also order a fried ohagi (150 yen) (the dish in the upper right-hand corner) and black rice cider (200 yen) (upper left-hand corner) separately. You also receive a free cute handmade wreath made from rice stalks and rice straw.
*The café corner is closed during winter.

Refreshing Ancient Rice Cider

The brightly-colored Yuto Cider (200 yen per glass) is a drink made by mixing sparkling water with rice extract taken from ancient rice varieties using a unique method. With a lemon on top, the drink both looks and tastes refreshing.

Yuto no Yakata: Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00; Closed: Mondays, end of the year; Tel. 0172-58-4689; 47 Osada Tareyanagi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 12-minute walk from Inakadate Station or a 5-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.

Ancient rice varieties taste delicious! They also make for great souvenirs

Ancient varieties of rice are those that have inherited the characteristics of ancient wild rice. The aromatic rice Iwaka smells like popcorn once cooked! Whereas black rice turns slightly purple when cooked. Ancient rice varieties are fragrant, delicious, and full of vitamins and minerals. They also make for the perfect souvenir of your trip to Inakadate.

Strawberry picking at Kanko Strawberry Farm!

Kanko Strawberry Farm grows strawberries year-round by using the heat from hot springs. You can enjoy strawberry picking in both summer and winter. A strawberry’s flavor is dependent on the temperature. They become very sweet following terribly cold winter days, and during the summer, their flavor becomes very tart as the hot days continue.

Kanko Strawberry Farm: Opening Hours: 10:00-12:30; Closed: Obon, end of the year; Tel. 0172-55-6016; 10-1 Nakatsuji Inakadate, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture
A 25-minute walk from Inakadate Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line, or a 10-minute taxi ride from JR Kawabe Station.
(A 5-minute walk from the Rice Paddy Art First Venue.)

Almost too fresh! Strawberry juice

At Kanko Strawberry Farm you can enjoy fresh strawberry juice (300 yen) and various strawberry desserts. Bursting to the brim with freshly-picked strawberries, the fresh strawberry juice has a brilliant balance of natural acidity and sweetness. The taste of the strawberries changes between summer and winter, so you can visit many times and try the ever-changing seasonal flavor for yourself.

Crispy snacks made from strawberries!

Strawberry whole-grain rice crackers are made by putting tons of strawberry jam made from the farm’s strawberries on top of Inakadate’s whole-grain rice crackers (130 yen each). You can taste the farmers’ hard work in how delicious the strawberries are.

＼ANOTHER SPOT／

Yayoi Ramen at Restaurant Jaigo

Restaurant Jaigo is a place to eat at the Roadside Station Yayoi no Sato. Two popular dishes are Yayoi Ramen (right), with noodles made from ancient varieties of rice, and Yayoi Udon (middle), with noodles made using acorns, chestnuts, and sweet potato. The scallop soup and edible chrysanthemum toppings are very authentic to the Tsugaru region. ‘Jaigo’ means countryside (inaka in standard Japanese) in Tsugaru dialect.

Restaurant Jaigo: Opening Hours: 11:00-17:30 (last entry 16:30) / Closed: New Year’s Day / Tel. 0172-43-8121 / 10 Yahata Takahi, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture / A 12-minute walk from Inakadate Station or a 5-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.

Tasakoimura’s desserts featuring gem-like fruits

The mixed fruit and strawberry sandwiches made with mascarpone cream (middle) (380 yen each) are very popular. We also recommend the soft-serve ice cream made with locally-grown tomatoes and strawberries (right). They only ever use hand-selected seasonal fruits and vegetables (lemon, melon, sweet potato, etc.) as ingredients. The miso cutlet set meal and noodles from the food corner are also said to be very tasty.

Tasakoimura: Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 / Closed: Mondays (open on Mondays that align with national holidays) / Tel. 0172-88-7020 / 160-1 Higashida, Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture / A 20-minute walk from Inakadate Station or 10-minute walk from Tanbo Art Station on the Konan Railway Konan Line.