S

Across Japan, it's harvest time. In September, the rice turns a golden hue. The color—my favorite—is koganeiro (黄金色). Scarecrows stand watch over the rice fields. Most scarecrows in Japan are rather pedestrian—what you'd think a scarecrow would and should look like.


Then, there the ones that don't look anything like scarecrows, taking their look from anime characters, athletes, and even rock stars.

In the above gallery, many of the more elaborate scarecrows are from scarecrow festivals or contests throughout Japan, in which people show off their clever scarecrow creations to the delight of locals and visitors alike—especially kids.

The gallery also has a few scarecrows which were spotted hard at work in the fields.

Culture Smash is a regular dose of things topical, interesting and sometimes even awesome—game related and beyond.
(Top photo: キニ速)
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

SAKB48 [Kagehiro Blog]
SAnpanman and Totoro [トムヤン君の野球巡り]
SAshita no Joe [オッパー画像掲示板]
Doraemon [田舎元気本舗]
Dragon Ball [ふるさとBlog]
SLady Gaga [東建コーポレーション 盛岡支店]
SGolfer [Ante]
Gundam [うちは小動物園]
SHeads [えでぃ草子]
SKamen Rider Fourze [田圃に案山子（かかし）]
SKiss [キニ速]
Lady in a Hat [F5.6のモノクローム]
Mario [あゆみ２]
Hatsune Miku [新ﾄﾞﾗｲﾌﾞ400のPHOTO　BLOG]
SOne Piece [らんランＲＵＮ]
Awesome robot [鬼木棚田棚田まつり]
SThe Ring [鹿児島の観光スポット情報]
SSmiley Faces [カメラ片手に]
SCreepy suit dude [ザ・案山子シリーズ！]
SMei and Totoro [わち山の家]
Ultraman [鉄道]