Even if you’re unfamiliar with the name Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿, 1753 - 1806), you’re likely familiar with his work - his ukie woodblock prints became the standard for what ukie should be. You can read more about him here at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utamaro
Kumanichi notes that some rice farmers in the Yamaura district of Kyouragi in Kamiamakusa’s Matsushima Machi (Yeah, that’s a mouthful: 上天草市松島町教良木の山浦地区 - just コピペ this if you head out there and show it to the locals for guidance) have reproduced a famous Kitagawa work using six strains of rice to create color variances. (Considering the large amount of Edo-era pornography Kitagawa produced [Google!], the choice was felicitous.)The location is close to a hill, allowing great photography. It will be on display until hunger overwhelms aesthetics. - William
