Every summer, the city of Gyoda in Saitama Prefecture turns rice paddies into giant canvases, planting colorful rice varieties to form massive works of art. Known as tanbo art, these living murals stretch across nearly three hectares and can only be fully appreciated from above. Gyoda’s rice paddy art holds the Guinness World Record for the largest of its kind, and each year it draws visitors eager to see what design will emerge from the fields.
photo by @haskap1017 as of end of June 2025
For 2025, Gyoda is celebrating the world of anime with a detailed portrait of Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Created in honor of the upcoming Mugen Castle Arc movie, this year’s design shows Tanjiro mid-battle with his signature determined expression, slowly coming to life as the rice plants grow in shades of green and gold. As of late June, the image is starting to take shape, with photos shared by visitors like @haskap1017 giving us a glimpse of the impressive progress.
This year, the canvas was planted with roughly 10,000 seedlings, which is a huge increase compared to the more average 6000.
The artwork typically reaches its full beauty by mid-July and stays vibrant through October. Visitors can view the rice paddy art from the Observatory, which offers a 360-degree view from 50 meters above ground. It’s an easy day trip from Tokyo, and admission to the observatory is just 400 yen. Whether you’re an anime fan or simply appreciate creative uses of nature, Gyoda’s rice paddy art is a stunning blend of tradition, teamwork, and pop culture.
Gyoda rice paddy art as of mid-June 2025
A Tanjiro mascot cheering on the rice-planting volunteers in early June 2025
