Wara Art Festival

The works were created by students of Musashino Art University in Tokyo, with assistance from residents. Around 540 kilograms of straw were used for each installation. The rice was grown in paddy fields at seven elementary schools in the ward. The ward office collected threshed straw in the fall of last year. The straw will be used for making compost when the festival is over. "We decided to depict a toki this year because the bird looks so graceful when it flies over the sea and because we wanted to make our work the one that people of Niigata love," said Futaba Nishiya, a sophomore at the university who was in charge of producing the Toki sculpture.

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The event, running at Uwasekigata Koen Park until 31 October, aims to promote the area's reputation as a leading producer of rice. The legends of Echigo Province, or present-day Niigata Prefecture, include Raijin (god of thunder), Fujin (god of wind), a giant serpent, Nekomata (cat monster), and Reigan (spiritual goose). The sculptures were produced by 20 students from Musashino Art University in Tokyo and Tohoku University of Art and Design in Yamagata Prefecture, with assistance from about 50 residents. Each installation uses around 500 kilograms of straw. They are so large and sturdy that visitors can sit on them and take photos. The sculptures are lit up between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Fridays, weekends and holidays until 29 September. A local market is also held at the park between 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays until 29 September, offering agricultural products, traditional handicrafts and other items.

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