As we Americans gear up for a lazy Labor Day barbecue or a visit to a County Fair, locals in rural Japan are tuning into their creative side by constructing towering dinosaur sculptures out of leftover straw from harvest season. Yes, you heard me correctly.

This incredible straw art is displayed in a giant field at the Wara Art Festival in Niigata,  and has, not surprisingly, become a very popular yearly tradition amongst people of all ages. It even includes a workshop for budding straw-art enthusiasts. Where do I sign?

But surely it isn’t all straw? No; the base of the structures are made from pipes and wooden sticks, and then the straw is added. One sculpture takes about a week to complete, and a lot of man power. 

You can see from the above photo that it is quite a playful, interactive experience; viewers can walk around the entire thing, touch it, even take a photo with the beast for their next Holiday card. The whole display is like a convenient outdoor museum, free from security alarms and all the discomforts of hustle-and-bustle.

The giant crab (they’re not exclusive to dinosaurs) below shows the sheer size of these sculptures. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, truly a feast for the eyes.

Check out the gallery for more photos, including the base sculpture of the crab which is very neat. And don’t miss the straw snake and grasshopper!

Let us know what you think of this gorgeous straw art in the comments below.

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HT, IMAGES: Kotaku