Late Aug
Late Oct
T-Rex!!
T-Rex!! (Photo: Danius)

Wara Art Festival 2024

Straw sculptures invade Niigata

Jerome Lee   - 1 min read
Venue : Uwasekigata Park When : Late Aug - Late Oct 2024

Talk about an ingenious way to use leftover rice straw - to create dinosaur structures!

September is rice harvesting season in Japan, and instead of throwing away the rice straw, the Wara Art Festival is held where local artists build elaborate straw sculptures over wooden structures. This year (2015), dinosaur structures by Amy Goda, a local artist from Niigata, has made the Wara Art Festival famous online, overnight!

The methods used to create these dinosaurs are similar to those used to build thatched houses, ensuring its stable structure. Visitors in Japan interested in catching these sculptural delights can head down to the Uwasekigata Park in Niigata City’s Nishikan Ward, where they will be displayed until the beginning of November!

The theme of the sculptures changes year by year, so look forward to new sculptures every year!

Jerome Lee

Jerome Lee @jerome.lee

Singaporean who lived in Melbourne, Australia for 3 years, and undertook a journalism degree. A lover of soul, funk music (Motown especially), and many other forms of music. Love meeting new people, and creative things (art, fashion, photography, design, films...). Currently working at JapanTrave...