Wara mammoth (straw mammoth)

A huge artwork made of straw appears in the vast countryside.
This mammoth-like work was created in 2011 with the cooperation of local residents and Musashino Art University. Originally created to enliven the “Renge Festival,” the work has become a familiar symbol of the town due to its unique presence, and is now on permanent display.
It is composed of three generations of mammoths: parents, offspring, and grandchildren, with the parent mammoth in particular reaching a powerful 6 meters in height. Each mammoth has its own name: “Warara” for the parent mammoth, “Mai” for the offspring, and “Ren” for the grandchild. The straw is harvested locally, and the straw is replaced every year from March to April by local residents to maintain the beauty of the site.
It is only a 3-minute walk from Iyoiwaki Station on the JR Yosan Line, and as soon as you get off the station, you can see the mammoths standing in the rice fields. In spring, the surrounding rice fields are covered with lotus flowers, creating a beautiful contrast with the straw mammoths. The nighttime illumination is also fantastic.
The straw mammoths, the result of a fusion of the enthusiasm of local residents and the artistic abilities of Musashino Art University, are a unique sightseeing spot unlike any other. When you visit Uwa-machi, Seiyo City, be sure to go and see this gigantic straw mammoth.