Beautiful works of leaf art appear around Japan as fall foliage viewing season ends

Disney, Japanese anime, and video games are some of the inspirations for these transient masterpieces.

With the peak fall foliage viewing period now over, people around Japan get to enjoy the beautiful colours of autumn beneath their feet, as fallen leaves stretch out across park grounds and sidewalks. The abundance of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges look beautiful as they fall, but now the dying leaves are being given one final hurrah thanks to a new trend called “ochiba art” or “fallen leaf art”.

By placing leaves of different colours and shapes together, a whole variety of artworks are now being made, and while they’re stunning in their appearance, it’s their simple, transient beauty that’s currently capturing hearts around the nation.

One of the most popular shapes dominating the world of ochiba art is the simple love heart design.

The use of different leaves and surfaces help to give each of the love hearts a unique look.

Shrine grounds provide a particularly atmospheric locale for a spot of ochiba art.

Another easy design for people starting out in the craft is the simple smiley face.

▼ Next-level works include character faces like Mickey Mouse…

▼ Japanese anime character Anpanman…

▼ And even Hello Kitty.

Some of the largest character face designs can be found on the grounds of Osaka Castle.

And it’s not just individuals enjoying the trend – even fall foliage viewing events are featuring beautiful works of leaf art, like these Hello Kitty and Pikachu designs from Sogi Park in Gifu Prefecture.

If you’re an accomplished artist, like Hirotaka Hamasaki, a detailed image of Winnie the Pooh can emerge from the leaf pile.

For other artists, leaves provide a nice embellishment to line drawings in sand.

Other artists prefer to produce some more abstract designs.

Here, some raked lines create a sense of quiet serenity not unlike the zen beauty you’d find in a manicured rock garden.

Ochiba art isn’t confined to works of art made from piles of leaves; it also covers more crafty creations like leaf cut-outs…

▼ Pictures created on paper…

▼ And gorgeous rose bouquets.

Not only is ochiba art a joy to make for the creator, it also puts a smile on the faces of all who get to view it. The look of joy on this girl’s face as she gets to meet a pine-needle Totoro really says it all!

As we head into winter, it won’t be long before leaves on deciduous trees are truly gone for another season, so now’s the time to head outside, get creative in nature and share fallen leaf masterpieces online with the hashtag #落ち葉アート. And if you’re looking for another art form that uses natural materials, you might want to give rock-balancing art a try!

Source: Naver Matome
Featured image: Instagram/hamacream

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