Albeit a humble and unpretentious grain, rice is and always has been a cornerstone of Japanese life and culture from historical, religious and economical standpoints, and was incredibly once used as the nation’s primary currency.

It also provides the foundation for one of Japan’s most-marvellous wonders that simply has to be seen to be believed, which can be found in the quiet, out-of-the-way village of Inakadate, which boasts a modest population of just 8,000.

Rice cultivation has been the bedrock of life in Inakadate for more than 2,000 years but in the last three decades or so it’s become so much more, transforming the tiny village into a hub for tourists from all corners of the globe.

Hundreds of thousands make the trek to Inakadate, in the Aomori region, every year to lay their eyes on some of the most sensational, breathtaking works known to man – the villagers’ Tanbo art.

‘Tanbo art’ translates directly to ‘rice paddy art’ although that is a somewhat facile summation of creations worthy of being placed on the same pedestal as some of the world’s other wonders, albeit not quite on as grandiose a scale.

Actually, John Eales’ Bledisloe Cup-winning kick against the All Blacks is probably one of those wonders, appropriate considering Inakadate’s link to this year’s Rugby World Cup too –  more on that soon, Wallabies fans.

With planting beginning in late spring the villagers produce sprawling, three-dimensional artworks consisting purely of strategically-grown, different-coloured rice shoots that superlatives and photographs genuinely struggle to do justice.

From ground level, they look like little more than the usual rice fields they’re constructed from but from above – from the Country House Village Observatory and Yayoi no Sato Observation platforms, specifically – the artworks emerge in a miraculous expanse of modern ingenuity. 

The intricacy too, is something to behold.

The initial artwork depicted a simple, geometric representation of the nearby Mount Iwaki but since then the artists’ handiwork has developed and in the ensuing years they’ve produced extraordinary Mona Lisa, Godzilla, Marilyn Monroe, Star Wars and Gone With The Wind-themed works.

The concept was first undertaken in 1993, born from the then-mayor’s desire to bring crowds to the village to help boost the local economy.

With little more than the much-loved and all-important rice fields to work with an idea was formed based on a primary school’s striped paddy nearby, although there was no thought toward such incredible concerts of natural wonder initially.

More than 100 villagers were involved in that initial depiction of Mount Iwaki, which also featured text reading Rice Culture Village Inakadate, but it had little impact with few spectators drawn.

Naturally there proved a necessity for more impressive artworks, and with a more vast array of coloured plants and technological improvements that began to take shape as the years went on.

A full decade later, in 2003, the Mona Lisa was formed.

Those plans were drawn by the village’s art teacher Atsushi Yamamoto, who still draws up the initial designs to this day, although such a difficult concept brought stumbling blocks.

The perspective of the villagers’ depiction of Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece was off and as a result it was met with mixed reviews, some of which suggested the world-renowned lady of mystery looked fat.

But with an extensive planning process that now begins at a Village Revitalisation Promotion Council meeting and also includes drawing, surveying and of course the cultivation, every year the modern masterpieces take on new life and attract more and more people to the region.

For instance, in 2016 when the main piece featured Godzilla mid-attack more than 340,000 people were welcomed.

There’s often larger, more-spiritual factors considered in the initial decision of what will be created each year, for instance 2012’s main artworks portrayed Acala, a protective deity chosen with a wish to drive off the ill-fortune of the Great East Japan Earthquake. 

Likewise, the Seven Lucky Gods were also chosen that year, to make a wish of rapid recovery to the Tohoku region.

Last year Inakadate celebrated Japan’s equivalent of Walt Disney, mega artist Osamu Tezuka, and will, no doubt, once again dazzle in 2019.

That’s where you come in, Wallabies fans.

The Australians take on Fiji in their Rugby World Cup opener on Saturday, September 21 at the Sapporo Dome, just north of the Aomori region.

If you’ve secured tickets for that game you’ve also, inadvertently or not, given yourself the chance to take in this potentially once-in-a-lifetime, nigh-on-unbelievable experience of modern mastery.

Although in 2015 July 22 was declared the best time to view the Tanbo art, that doesn’t mean the beauty diminishes after that date. 

In fact in many ways, they simply transform into something more marvellous as the seasons’ change brings plumes of autumnal palettes.

During the Rugby World Cup, specifically before or after the Wallabies’ clash with Fiji, the paddies will have diversified and changed from the greenish, shooting plants to fully-grown, golden, sephia-toned fields primed for harvest.

Put simply, Inakadate’s Tanbo art may not have initially been on your Rugby World Cup bucket-list but you must add it, or risk doing yourself a disservice.

And when Sapporo and Tokyo alike are only a stone’s throw from Inakadate and the Aomori region – 45-minute and one-hour flights respectively – a stopover to view the phenomenal, spectacular, mind-boggling creations is ideal before or after the Wallabies clash, or any other game in Sapporo for that matter.