Every September, rice harvesting season begins in Japan.
Rice straw (also called wara) is a byproduct removed from the grain during harvesting, usually spread out in rice fields or piled up to be discarded.
Wara can be used as roofing, woven into shoes or bags, or used as a blanket to cover the dead.
Niigata’s Wara Art Festival uses the rice straw for, well, art.
