The Wara Art Festival in Nishikan Ward, Niigata City is an annual event held between August and October where massive outdoor art installations made of bales of rice straw are exhibited. The giant sculptures shaped like animals and mythical creatures can reach up to 9 metres in height. The area is known for its paddy fields and as a leading producer of rice. The concept came about in 2006 as a collaboration between Tokyo’s Musashino Art University and Iocal residents. What was initially a small-scale event displaying simple straw sculptures locally, officially became the Wara Art Festival as it is known today and was initially exhibited in five different locations in Nishikan Ward. Since 2009, the festival has been taking place in Uwasegigata Park in the same ward, where people can also enjoy local specialties and attractions.