When Shohei Ohtani's hometown farmers paid homage to two-way phenom with jaw-dropping rice art spanning 1000 square meters

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani is a hero, an icon, and a living legend to millions of people all over the world. He has inspired some of the most creative fan tributes. But few, if any, can match what a group of farmers in his area achieved early this year.

In an extraordinary attempt at paying homage to Japan’s World Baseball Classic MVP, a group of local farmers in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, came together to bring Ohtani to life using different varieties of rice. Yes, you read that right.

Across a 1,000-square-meter paddy field, farmers planted different varieties of rice. Each type has its own unique color: white, yellow, green, purple and more. The farmers used these colors to create one of the biggest portraits of Ohtani one could ever see.

In his paddy art form, Ohtani can be seen donning Japan’s WBC uniform with the initials ‘MVP’ etched to its left.

Shohei Ohtani's hometown farmers paid homage to the two-way phenomenon with jaw-dropping rice art (Image Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Via the Japanese newspaper 'The Yomiuri Shimbun,' one resident was quoted saying:

“The result is splendid. I’m glad I came to see it.”

Such tributes are rare, and players like Shohei Ohtani, are even rarer. So it makes all the sense in the world to honor a larger-than-life athlete with a larger-than-life portrait.

Shohei Ohtani’s free agency future isn’t anywhere close to being resolved

Shohei Ohtani is, without a doubt, the headline act of this offseason—by a country mile. The Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to be the frontrunners for his services, but nothing definitive has emerged from those links yet.

The Chicago Cubs have also been mentioned in the Ohtani sweepstakes, but as the days go by, their chances seem to be fading.

"The Chicago Cubs’ optimism of landing Shohei Ohtani has now significantly waned, one high-ranking executive said, leaving the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants as the likely finalists." - Bob Nightengale

The Toronto Blue Jays could be a possible landing spot, but that would require Ohtani to give up on his West Coast life. The San Francisco Giants also remain a distant possibility.

It is unlikely that Ohtani will decide by the time the winter meetings wrap up. Fans waiting anxiously for an outcome may need to wait a bit longer.