The beauty of Japanese rice paddies
Having lived in a rural town in Japan, I really appreciate the traditional culture and abundance of natural scenes in the countryside. One of my favourite places to visit are the rice terraces. I would often visit this one in Motoyama Town in Kochi Prefecture. One of the best times to view the rice terraces is just before harvest season, around September – October, when the rice plants are a brilliant orange/yellow colour.
Inspired by the rice terrace scenes, I printed this linocut of the path leading to the Yoshinobu Rice Terraces. At the time there were koinobori (carp streamers) hanging up to celebrate Children’s Day, a national holiday in Japan.
I entered this mini lino print in the Awagami Factory International Mini Print Exhibition held in Tokushima Prefecture. It’s a great exhibition displaying prints from across Japan and around the world and is usually held around October each year.
