Tucked away in Shikoku’s remote Iya Valley is the small village of Nagoro. While this was once a bustling place, the current number of residents stands at only around 35 people…
…and over 300 scarecrows.
Visiting the Nagoro Scarecrows
This place is literally impossible to miss. My friends and I were driving, driving, driving, then BAM! Suddenly there were scarecrows everywhere. When we parked and got out of the car, the first scarecrow we saw was, creepily, holding a chainsaw.
The weather was cloudy and misty, and it was eerily silent; I was thoroughly creeped out after spending only a couple of minutes outside the car. I kept staring at scarecrows, waiting for them to move! Some of them really looked like people!
After a bit more time exploring, though, and seeing scarecrows doing menial and everyday tasks like they were people, I kinda thought they were cool. There were scarecrows standing at a bus stop, waiting — one even looked like Donald Trump! Others were fixing roofs or working in the rice fields.
Eventually, we drove a bit further down the road and parked again, this time in what looked like a small visitor-type center. Across the road and a bridge was a school; we decided to check it out next.
Nagoro Elementary School
Only the gym was open when we went. Inside there were many scarecrows dressed for occasions like 運動会 (the Sports Day) and 文化祭 (the Culture Festival). A few scarecrows were even holding a wedding ceremony!
Once we finished taking pictures, we headed back outside…
…and heard the quietly eerie sound of children singing…
Where were those voices coming from??? Find out here!
More Information about the Nagoro Scarecrows
Hours and Admission
- No set hours, but please remember that people still live here! Be courteous and visit at reasonable times.
- Also, since its literally just a village, there are no admission charges.
Parking
- We parked at a random spot near some wood (just south of the sightseeing marker), but there was actually some parking further down the road (just past the side road here).
** This post, originally titled 案山子の村 — The Village of Scarecrows, was first posted on my old site, A Passport and Chopsticks, on June 22, 2019.
