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I’ll readily admit to not knowing much about agriculture. One thing I think I do have a grasp on, though, is the purpose of scarecrows. I mean, it’s all there in the name, right? They’re supposed to scare crows.
And, in fairness, these scarecrows photographed by Twitter user @jumpup in rural Japan probably are effective in keeping avian pests from pilfering the crops before they’re ready to be harvested. But this being Japan, where craftsmanship is a way of life, whoever made these scarecrows apparently decided to go the extra mile and design them to chill the blood of human passersby too.
magining coming across that while walking down a country road at night under the feeble light of a clouded-over moon. You’d take off running in the opposite direction, and once you worked up the nerve to make another attempt to pass by the farm, all you’d have to do to retrace your steps is follow the babbling brook of urine you’d laid down on the asphalt as you made your escape.
And why are three of the scarecrows just heads? Wouldn’t it be better to give them some sort of body?
But at least in the case of the creepy schoolgirl, and also the head with the surprisingly nice eyebrows, you can give the creator the benefit of the doubt. Odds are he was working with limited materials and simply wanted something that, to a crow, looks more or less like a human.
It’s a little harder to understand the rationale of the farmer who decided to make his scarecrow look like a decomposing corpse, with a detailed bone structure that gives the sparse straw covering the appearance of rotting flesh.
Source: Hamusoku
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- These giant straw dinosaurs would probably rip any straw man to shreds -- People in Japan are going crazy for straw art -- Unsettling softball-playing scarecrows keep Japanese town entertained, creeped out
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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Barca
I still remember a field in Nara (outskirts) who had doll heads. I was totally unprepared for the sight and I remember I slammed the breaks on my car hard enough to leave tracks. Nearly lost control of the vehicle. Not good for my heart. Everytime I remember it brings me chills.
hilldomain
I've seen them use dolls heads as well get common.
timtak
I have seen quite a few eye catching scarecrows here in Yamaguchi too https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihonbunka/23656350 https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihonbunka/17968749279
Kobe White Bar Owner
Any stolen school uniforms been reported in the area.........
Monozuki
Yes, I understand many people get a creepy feeling from these scarecrows but to me, they look somewhat cartoony. Incidentally, I used to see more conventional scarecrows made with bamboos and straws when I was a little kid.
Thunderbird2
Time to look into those missing schoolgirls....
the_sheriff
Oh Japan, you never cease to entertain.
philly1
Love the mud skeleton. Gorgeous sculpture. Nothing here that wouldn't fit into an art gallery in some of the world’s major cities.
dcog9065
That skeleton is pretty crazy, looks as if it could be real
philly1
How odd. There are no scary men. Only schoolgirls and young women. There's probably a possible PhD in that somewhere.
itsonlyrocknroll
Very dark, dry even heinous sense of humour, you don't think that the 'head on a stick' is a caution/deterrent to thieves and poachers?
browny1
I think these are not scarecrows but "scarepeople" - you know, keep outa my block.
bass4funk
Wow! Don't even know what to say. Skeleton looks scary. This kinda reminds me of that movie "Jeepers Creepers"
Laguna
Those heads are discarded by beautician schools after use. Nice to see they've been repurposed for their afterlife.
Chip Harding
Those are creepy.
Kurobune
@Alistair - I'm going to lose sleep over that pic tonight ! Eeriest scarecrow I've ever set eyes on for sure !
Alistair Carnell
Police should check the field of the farmer, whose scarecrow appears in the third picture. They may be able to solve a missing person case / murder.
Kurobune
Is that Sadako-san from the movie ? (My mother-in-law's name, by the way.)
badsey3
the picture in the middle (head and legs) is a "nightcrawler"
http://youtu.be/ba02eczMymo