At the end of rice harvesting season, the folks of the Kagawa and Niigata Prefectures in Japan hold a straw festival to celebrate the abundance of the harvest. Dried straws cover wooden frames to form larger-than-life sculptures from animals like sharks and gorillas to vessels such as ships and tanks. The family-friendly event invites visitors of all ages to engage, interact, and play on the enormous structures.

Students in Aone’s elementary school during break in between the class on April 9, 2015. The school has only six students, two of whom are from the same family. Similarly small schools can be found throughout Japan. (Photo by Ko Sasaki/The Washington Post)

High waves batter a breakwater at a port at Kihou town in Mie prefecture, central Japan on October 6, 2014. Strong typhoon Phanfone slammed into Japan, packing gusts and huge waves that have already swept three US military officials out to sea, as it made a beeline for Tokyo. (Photo by AFP Photo/Jiji Press)

Creators of Mini Cooper continue on with their innovative way of promoting their product. First, it was the huge cardboard boxes, which looked like packaging for full sized Mini Coopers, left all over Amsterdam. Now they’ve hired a famous artist Alexa Meade, who is known for making 3-D objects look as if they are 2-D paintings. For this project, Alexa had to fly to Japan, where she turned a whole Mini Cooper into a “drawing”. Even if you know that what you’re seeing on the picture are 3-D objects, your brain refuses to accept this, making you think that Alexa is standing near a sloppy picture of a Mini Cooper.

Cormorant masters and boatmen prepare sea cormorants for the nights “Ukai” on July 2, 2014 in Gifu, Japan. In this traditional fishing art “ukai”, a cormorant master called “usho” manages cormorants to capture ayu or sweetfish. The ushos of River Nagara have been the official staff of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan since 1890. Currently six imperial fishermen of Nagara River conduct special fishing to contribute to the Imperial family eight times a year, on top of daily fishing from mid-May to mid-October. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

A man enters an adult amusement establishment in Shinjuku's nightlife district of Kabukicho in Tokyo, August 27, 2015. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

People view live owls at, Owl's Forest which is located on the bottom floor of a building along a bustling street in the Harajuku area on Friday November 04, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. Visitors can pet owls at the business. It is located next to one of Tokyo's many cat cafes. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Penguins Momo and Omochi are seen while the projection mapping images is being cast during a media preview for their free online animal shows for children and families staying at home during Golden Week holidays due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown, at the Aqua Park Shinagawa in Tokyo, Japan on April 30, 2020. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)