
Japanese village creates field-sized 3D paintings made of coloured rice shoots - happy-go-lucky
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170223-an-ingenious-solution-made-of-rice
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hudibras
Here are some photos from the World War One era which use a similar concept.
But instead of rice plants, these use tens of thousands of people to create
the pictures.

[http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/living-photographs-
photograp...](http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/living-photographs-photographs-
created-assembling-soldiers-1918/)

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ue_
I have seen some albeit more simplistic rice art when I went to Japan. I had
to climb a little tower to see them, it was such a cool idea at the time; the
one I saw showed that popular Japanese woodblock print with the waves on it,
which I can't seem to find.

Unfortunately I lost pictures of it in a hard drive crash, but it's really
nice to see IRL and I'd recommend it if you're visiting nearby one. Mine was
somewhere in Iwate prefecture.

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cooper12
It's called _The Great Wave off Kanagawa_ by Hokusai:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa)

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yarri
Civic engagement in Japanese agriculture was a challenge for rural communities
when I was living in Japan, this village's activity seems similar to 4H clubs
in the US.

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Asooka
I don't see how these are three-dimensional. Is it because they depict three-
dimensional objects? But then aren't most (all) paintings 3D?

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MaysonL
For some pictures: [http://www.inakadate-tanboart.net/](http://www.inakadate-
tanboart.net/)

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pacaro
Hmmm, I wonder if you could do something similar with hydrangeas and an
irrigation system that controls the ph of the soil on a per plant basis

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sand500
Wouldn't have to be per plant if you can isolate the pH of two regions at the
boundary.

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pacaro
True, I guess I was hung up on the "plants as pixels" idea!

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aaron695
2D

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kevin_thibedeau
The perspective correct ion makes them appear to float in space.

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cja
I'm in the UK and I am not allowed to view this page:

 _BBC Worldwide (International Site)

We're sorry but this site is not accessible from the UK as it is part of our
international service and is not funded by the licence fee. It is run
commercially by BBC Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BBC, the
profits made from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new
BBC programmes. You can find out more about BBC Worldwide and its digital
activities at www.bbcworldwide.com._

I don't watch live TV so I don't pay the licence fee. Shouldn't I therefore be
allowed to see this page?

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simonbarker87
Regardless of having a license fee or not (I do as while I don't watch live TV
I do have a TV in the house and I like the BBC) I think license payers should
be able to view this kind of content. Without the fee the BBC wouldn't exist
(in its current form at least) to make projects the projects that aren't
funded by the fees. Anyone have a mirror, please?

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mattmanser
The BBC are not allowed to commercially compete in the UK, BBC worldwide is
the commercial arm of the BBC, so this content mustn't be shown in the UK.

But by having a commercial arm, the BBC can generate income from the rest of
the world and provide more value to the licence fee payers.

So you want this to exist as it makes the homegrown BBC better, even if it's
frustrating not to be able to read it.

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simonbarker87
Sorry, I should have been clearer. I understand why I can't see the content I
just think the way it is set up is wrong. I appreciate the license fee doesn't
cover the full cost of the BBC and that the commercial arms brings in an awful
lot of money that the wider BBC benefits from, but it should be set up in a
way that means license payers can see the content produced by the commercial
arm.

In the same way the rest of world should (maybe can, not sure) be able to pay
an annual fee to view the content that is aired on BBC in the UK.

