In Niigata Prefecture, the northern part of the sunrise country, the impression of the countryside is more viscous. This rice field area has long been a rice granary for Japan. Thousands of hectares of rice fields produce tons of superior rice that even produce a lot of straw garbage.
Trash of this straw that later inspired the artists of the campus to produce a giant animal statue. Along with the harvest, Wara Art Festival is often held and become one of the tourist attractions that steal the attention of tourists
Wara Art Festival idea itself was originally sparked in 2006, when the students at Musashino Art University feel there is a need to use the waste of straw from the harvest, that is by making the artwork from the straw. In 2008, the festival was finally held for the first time.
Since then, every year after the harvest season, around September and October, Musashino Art University always sends art students to Niigata to help make sculptures made from straw garbage.
Japan itself initially often use the straw to produce a variety of goods, ranging from mats to window coverings. But over time, the straw began to be marginalized replaced by wood and plastic that felt stronger. However, at least Japan has managed to utilize the waste of straw by turning it into a work of art, especially the works of art became a tourist attraction visited by many people