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Monday, October 9, 2017

Scarecrow Contest at the Rice Terraces

 Scarecrow contest is held every year at Inabuchi district of Asuka village 
when rice paddies are turning gold.
Inabuchi is noted for the grand rice terraces, which are farmed by hand, 
spreading on the rolling hills.

 

At this time of year, rice terraces are edged by the brilliant red flowers.
They are Lycoris radiate, "higanbana" in Japanese, for they are the flowers (hana) 
which usually bloom around the autumn equinox day (higan).  




Walking along the path between the paddies,
you'll meet many various scarecrows of any nationality, young and old.
Hello, farmers and cat musician!


I hadn't thought I'd encounter a Mexican or Sheriff Woody at such a place.




This guy's eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth are drawn with some of Japanese alphabets "へのへのもへ".


These scarecrows remind me of fairytale or children's song.


Charming ladies!
They look more like life-size dolls than scarecrows.



Asuka was the capital of Japan at the end of the sixth century. 
Most of its legacy remains buried underground
while some of the ancient burial mounds and temples, ruins of ancient structures,
mysterious stone objects,  and other historic sites are open to public.



Asuka is one of the places I feel connected to the ancient times.
The exotic flower takes my thoughts to the time
when it was first imported from China.


I hope you enjoyed walking with me in the warm sunshine.
Which scarecrow would you like to vote for?


Incidentally, my youngest grandchild Y enjoyed his first Sports Day at his kindergarten yesterday.
Three-year-olds were simply cute, running or dancing in a fancy costume.
Five-year-olds amazed me with their terrific marching band and coordinated group gymnastics
as I had been so in F’s kindergarten.
The three-year-olds will change dramatically in a few years.


41 comments:

  1. Some of those scarecrows don't look very scary, but they seem to work - I can't see any crows at all!

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  2. EXCELLENT post dear Stardust!!!

    your photos are delightful like always , they always brighten my day and deliver deep joy to my soul!

    these magnificent views are so cherish and serene!

    you are so lucky to live in such lashing area my friend!
    reminded me my native town and fields where i used to play and run with my girl friends!

    Amazing and Adorable scarecrows!

    first one looks confuse or surprised .
    rest below are so wonderful to look at and enjoy!!!

    Loved the ladies and i am sure no scare will be scare of them lol!

    thank you for sharing the little angles portion .

    i don't have grand children though, as my son has not married yet still i am waiting eagerly for day when i can see my generation grow it's roots and shoots in this beautiful world .
    more happiness to you my friend!

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  3. Dear Yoko - I love those beautifully tended rice terraces edged with the Lycoris radiate - their common name here is red spider lily. What an immense amount of time and energy the local people have put into making the scarecrows - each one so unique and beautifully executed.
    Adoreable little children - is your grandson the one in blue?

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  4. The weather looks beautiful and the rice paddies look so pretty with their gold colour and yellow flowers. Thank you for sharing. xx

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  5. Hahaha … not a single crow in sight perhaps thanks to all these wonderful works of art throughout the fields. I especially like the women who look opposite of scary, much like the cute children wearing costumes. I wonder if the ancient people who once walked there could have imagined scarecrows and if they, too, tried to chase the birds away. :)

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  6. What a lovely walk! It looks more like August with exotic red flowers and vivid greenery. These scarecrows are unlikely to scare crows or anyone, they are fun! I loved the barrow with what looks like 7 dwarfs - a whole story.
    Your little ones closer to the final come like a fine dessert at the end of dinner in an exquisite French reastaurant. A perfect way to say Good bye!
    Thank you, Yoko!

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  7. The higanbana flowers are lovely, such a dramatic splash of red amongst the green of the rice fields. I think Sheriff Woody is my favourite scarecrow.
    Love the kindergarten sports day collage, looks like they all had fun.
    Thanks for joining me for Mosaic Monday today, see you next week!

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  8. Gorgeous red flowers !!!! And funny contest !!!!
    The kids seem to had fun !
    Have a lovely week !
    Anna

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  9. The red spider lilies among the fields are a beautiful sight, like winding red ribbons. How fun to have a scarecrow contest! Grandchildren are such a delight!

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  10. I must say again you live in a beautiful part of the world! Those red flowers - wow! And the scarecrows - I've never seen so many or such different scarecrows. That is, obviously, a fun tradition. Funny thing about scarecrows, I'm not convinced the scare crows. I've never see them scare away crows. In fact, on a couple of occasions I've seen crows perched on the head of a scarecrow! :)

    Those kiddos look to be having great fun. The faces and their smiles tell the story. I envy their exuberance and unlimited capacity for exercise!

    Hope that all is well with you and your family.

    Lowell

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  11. The rice terrace landscapes are beautiful and so are the red flowers. I’ve always secretly wanted to make a scarecrow ... what a fun contest! It would be very hard to pick a favorite, but I like that some of them are girls! The children are so cute and look happy ... it must be a great school!

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  12. What fun! The lycoris is spectacular. The scarecrows are too much fun! I love the kitty, the cowboy, the Mexican in his serape with his guitar! Yee-Haw! Happy Monday!

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  13. Beautiful photos, and I love the scarecrows, especially the cat! Thank you so much for sharing, your blog is a joy! :)

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  14. Hello Dear Yoko!
    I am delighted with your excellent post and great pictures.

    I love to be with you and get to know the beauty of your country!
    Dear Yoko, I cordially greet and kiss.
    I wish you a blessed week.
    Lucja

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  15. Hello Yoko,
    A scarecrow contest - what a great idea! I should keep that in mind. I wonder if I could create my own scarecrow for my garden?!
    What I really missed during my stay in Japan was visiting rice fields.
    Have a nice week
    Sigrid

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  16. Hej. det var ett tag sedan jag kommenterade hos dig nu blir så ibland livet kom liksom emellan. Vilken härlig vandring du bjuder på idag så underbara fågelskrämmor skrattar när jag läser ditt inlägg. Blommorna är verkligen underbara är det en lökväxt???
    Önskar dig en fin höst . Här är grått kallt och blåsigt regnet strilar ner nästan varje dag solen minns jag knappt hur den kändes.
    Kram Meta

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  17. What a wonderful place to visit! I like the little fairy tale characters that look like gnomes! But they are all delightful as are the flowers! Hugs, Diane

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  18. This is such an interesting and colourful post. I love the different cute looking scarecrows and I believe the crows loved them too. During my earlier trips to Japan, I was amazed & surprised to see few odd figures dressed as handsome scarecrows at the fields around Kyushu Island while I was riding the train. Now I would vote for the one like a Mexican and the one with little dwarfs pushing the cart. The other one with the face written in Japanese words is unique too! Thanks for sharing.

    Your grand kid is so cute with all the innocent kids. I wish to turn back the clock to be a happy child again.

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  19. Hi Yoko....oh how colourful....and lots of fun! It's not easy to pick a favourite and I guess you have already picked the best to share. The first I like because the patterns on the fabric echo the surroundings. But they are all special. Always lovely to see children enjoying themselves.

    Happy Autumn!
    Ruby

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  20. Beautiful story! Beautiful pictures. I am very interested in Asuka. Han's flowers are beautiful. I have never seen such lovely flowers. Interestingly, they were brought from China. On the access road I can see the green bollards, determining the axis of the road. Are there at any such places? It's very interesting ! Very interesting are the scarecrows! Original costumes! Japan is very interesting. This is a beautiful, colorful country. I'm very curious about the pictures. I see people living there who love their homeland. And grandchildren, three-year-old, beautifully danced. It is true that children grow up quickly. Before we think, they will be adults ...
    Do I see the dwarfs from the tale of seven dwarfs?
    Send you my warm greetings

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  21. I love scarecrows ~ all very creative and wonderful photos ~ great floral shots too ^_^

    A ShutterBug Explores aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  22. Wow! Your flower photos took my breath away. And I loved the scarecrows. They are so creative. I'm voting for the cat musician (only because I love music) - but they are all delightful. As are the children.

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  23. I like the scarecrow with the characters as parts of the face - very clever. This is such a lovely post - the distant shots with the red flowers punctuating the edges of the fields are just beautiful!

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  24. What a great idea for a competition - and the surrounding area is lovely!

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  25. Thank you, my friend, for your fine and generous comments! Yes, it is hot here. We've had it in the 90s (F) almost every day for several months. Usually it begins to cool down in October, but it hasn't happened yet. And last winter was very mild. I'm tired of the heat and hope the cooler weather comes soon!

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  26. Mooie bloemen in het groen, prachtige rode bloemen
    de vogelverschrikkers zijn prachtig, ik kies voor de poes.
    De foto met de kinderen u kleinkind,.......... zo leuk!
    yoko ik heb met plezier met je mee gewandeld!
    en genoten van de mooie kleuren.
    wens je een mooi weekend!
    Groetjes Christiene.

    Beautiful flowers in green, beautiful red flowers
    The scarecrows are beautiful, I choose the pussy.
    The picture with the children you grandchild, .......... so nice!
    yoko I have been with you with pleasure!
    and enjoyed the beautiful colors.
    wish you a nice weekend!
    Greetings Christiene.

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  27. ME ENCANTAN ESOS ESPANTAPAJAROS!!!NO SE SI ASUSTAN A LOS PAJAROS PERO SON PRECIOSOS..
    SALUDITOS

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  28. So sweet to see your happy grandchildren.
    Flowers at this time of year! They are lovely. I enjoyed all of your photos, the scarecrows are wonderfully creative. I think where I live, Montana should have a festival like that.

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  29. Parabéns ao neto e a vovó Yoko!
    A flor vermelha é magnífica, uma obra de arte. O céu na segunda imagem é encantador.
    Concordo sobre parecer conto de fadas. A composição de fotos, criada por você, é muito bonita.
    Querida Yoko, a primavera está chegando no Brasil, aos poucos e muito quente. Mas ainda instável, alguns dias esfriam. E esta oscilação não é benéfica para o meu organismo.
    Porém, as flores alegram os dias. E salve a água, que me hidrata e conforta.
    Um beijo querida, para dias felizes, sempre.

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  30. Fantastic idea with those Yoko scarecrows. Those around here are not as witty as these. Cute !! They are very nice dolls :))
    Great photo report !!!
    Coming back from the summer, he has been very commanding.
    Good Thursday my friend.
    Abrazos.

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  31. こんばんは。案山子がこんなに沢山あるのですね。吃驚しました。写真がいつも素敵です。あの写真は成田では無く羽田です。

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  32. I'm back from my hiatus and so glad to be welcomed by this post on your site! The scarecrows aren't even scary because they're too cute! So who won as best scarecrow? :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Koryn! The Grand Prize went for the “Seven dwarfs working at the rice terraces.”

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  33. The Japanese Alphabet Man is my favorite, but all are very creative! The red flowers are so brilliant against the greenery. It looks like a whimsical place to walk in the fall. Those sweet children make me smile - such happiness and innocence.

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  34. The bubbles are dizzy, they are the superb.

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  35. Scarecrow contests have become popular here too, maybe over the last 15 years or so. People like an excuse to create strange and unreal creatures. These days it seems to me that nature creates the things that I like to see the best. It's a good idea to grow flowers amongst the crops. Are the higanbana specially planted or do they grow naturally there? In England, some farmers leave field borders to be cultivated by nature, and the same applies in many public parks now too. There are often wonderful flowers to see but the main purpose, I think, is to preserve "corridors" of ecosystem so that the wild creatures can thrive.

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  36. 明日香の秋そして運動会の季節がやってきました!この時期には訪れたことありませんが、何度訪れても心ワクワクする可愛い案山子達だと思います。彼岸花もピークが短いのでけっこう撮影には苦労します。8月の末東京駅で新幹線に乗る前日比谷公園に寄りましたが彼岸花は殆ど終わっていました。やんちゃ盛りになったお孫さんに声援送ります!
    又ね!

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  37. Wow... This is amazing... Lovely pictures...

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  38. Your rice terraces are beautiful edged with the red flowers, so wonderful to see.
    Loving all of the very imaginative scarecrows you have captured with your camera!
    Have a lovely weekend.

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  39. What beautiful flower of alive color decorates these fields! The local people have put of his part too with scarecrow of creative designs that you so well have portrayed its and, as a result, the visit to the place well was worth it. Even more as soon as you have shared the experience in this marvelous fashion that it characterizes you, communicated very interesting and attractive information about the place and have made us enjoy us also with it.
    Difficult decision chooses one of these figures. After much to ponder I choose the first one that appears here since his facial expression it makes have a feeling that it will frighten to the birds with efficiency, but without committing excesses. But do not think that I am very sure. The aspects to bear in mind are large. The representation is not exclusively masculine prominent figures, the originality is looked, here materials are again in use, use of organic materials ... also it deserves a prize.
    I see that your grandson also has shared a pleasing experience that in your photographies transmits very good sensations and it invites to want to see this type of events. Certainly the children grow to our eyes more rapid than we would like to wait. But, on the other hand, it is a pleasure to accompany their development and to live their achievements and conquests. With they we exercise well in it of " love me in order that I could go away ".

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