Day 10 - Rice Harvest Feast

I went for the rice harvesting feast today which was part of the Itoshima Farm Arts festival. For more information, check out this site: http://www.ito-artsfarm.com/


Was lazing around this morning since it's a Saturday haha. Then I went to the studio at about 11+ am so that we could all go to the feast together.

It was supposed to be held in the rice field, but due to the rain, it was held at a shrine.

The rice cooker that's cooking the rice.

Ooo.. look what I found! It was a gift from Justin, the previous Singaporean artist
who came for the artist residency program as well!

Studio Kura (the exterior)

Some dried vegetables at the studio

Rice Harvest Feast

I think, if I'm not mistaken, this feast is meant to celebrate the harvesting of the rice. It's really quite interesting that they have this concept of combining art and rice planting - that they have an entire arts festival just for it! From May (when they started planting) to November (when they are all harvested).

The shrine where we had our meal.

This is it! Looks yummy eh?

Hiro-san on the left.

The people who were there.
The group at the foreground are a group of missionaries. I'm so thankful to have met them!
And I'm so encouraged by what these people are doing!

A very adorable Japanese kid with his dad.
I took some front shots of him, but they turned out to be quite blur.

They were also giving away/selling packets of rice like this.

That's Hiro-san's wife and baby daughter! She's so kawaii!

There's this big bell at the entrance of the shrine, where kids just love to play with it.

Shoes are neatly arranged.

Meet Noi-chan! (I hope I got the name right)

Well, if you do read Japanese, check out the details about today's event.

Itoshima Farm Arts Exhibit

Some of these are still works in progress, like Nigel's. But it's really quite an experience walking around the rice field to get from one artwork to the other. It's like one HUGE museum, only the exhibits are almost miles from each other. Interesting.

The ENTIRE rice field is the museum!

Nigel's work, next to the studio.

More rice fields ^^

Some of the rice has been harvested.
Maybe these are the ones we ate? Yummy!

This is Hiro-san's painting.

At a closer look: the patterns are actually made up of soil (I think), with plants sticking out!
Imagine what it'll look like when it's filled with flowers!
(As I said, most artworks are still work-in-progress)

Remember the car picture I posted the previous day?
Turns out that it's actually for an art piece.

A former noodle shop. We went in and took a look. There was nothing actually.
Just whatever that was remaining from a former noodle shop.
Maybe another work-in-progress?

Some other photos from our walk

These are some of the other things that Nigel and I saw on our walk back to the studio.

Some blueberry tree?

We also climbed the mountain (Ok, there were stairs). So while we were climbing halfway, we got to this place:

Another shrine. I wonder if anyone ever comes here.

But hey, there's an awesome view overlooking the rice field.
By the way, I love how low the clouds are laying at the background.
Gives it a sort of mystical feel.

Whatchyu looking at?!

HUGE bamboo shoots.

Just shrines after shrines after shrines...

After a while, we sort of got attacked by spider webs, mosquitoes and crabs (yes, crabs!), so we decided to head back down. Besides, we sort of have already climbed to the top of the stairs.

Back at the studio where Atsuko-san and Nigel are discussing their work.