Hello Kitty among characters featured in rice field art along north Japan railway

AKITA -- Rice field art cultivated in areas along the Akita Nairiku Line running north to south through inland northern Akita Prefecture has reached its peak beauty.

Locals worked together planting five kinds of rice plant to enhance the line's aesthetic appeals. Train passengers can listen to a guide's explanation and take pictures of the artwork as they pass them.

Departing north from Kakunodate Station, where the Akita Shinkansen also stops, the rice field art can be seen in the following order: a snow child between Kakunodate Station and Ugo-Ota Station, special "EMI" train car and paper balloon lantern visible from the Kamihinokinai Station platform, an Ani Matagi hunter and hunting dog between Aniai Station and Kobuchi Station, flowery Mount Moriyoshi between Maeda-Minami Station and Ani-Maeda Onsen Station, and Hello Kitty and the Isedotai archaeological site's mascot "Isedokun" visible from Jomon-Ogata Station platform.

Great views of the art are possible until early September. For inquiries, contact Akita Nairiku Jukan Tetsudo Railway Co. at 0186-82-3231 (in Japanese).

(Japanese original by Akira Kudo, Akita Bureau)