Tyrannosaurus
Musashino Art University students and local residents · Uwasekigata Park, Niigata
Photo: photographer not credited in the source post, as published on Street Art Utopia.
Tyrannosaurus (ティラノサウルス) was a giant rice-straw dinosaur made for the 2015 Wara Art Festival at Uwasekigata Park in Niigata’s Nishikan Ward. Niigata City lists it among six works on the theme of “living creatures” completed on 29–30 August 2015 by Musashino Art University students working with local residents. Source Source Checked
Gone 2015 — Niigata City says the six works were on display from September to 1 November 2015, and KAI-YOU wrote in September that the display would run until 1 November. We found no record of this sculpture after that date. Source Source Checked
💡 4 things to know
- Six creatures for 2015The 2015 set was Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, cobra, praying mantis, crab and duck, all on the theme of “living creatures”. Source Checked
- Its plate calls it “Warasaurus”The festival plate for the work, shown on the city page, is headed わら No.2 「わらザウルス」 (Warasaurus) and begins “ぼくは恐竜の王様ティラノサウルス” — “I am Tyrannosaurus, king of the dinosaurs”. Source Source Reported
- A student traditionMusashino Art University says its wara art project began in 2006, has shown works at the festival since 2008, and builds objects up to 3.5 metres tall at Uwasekigata Park each year. Source Reported
- Straw over woodJapan Travel wrote that the festival’s sculptures are built of rice straw over wooden structures, using methods similar to thatched houses. Source Reported
📍 Where it is
Uwasekigata Park (上堰潟公園), 1 Matsunoo, Nishikan-ku, Niigata, Japan. The sculpture was temporary; the map shows the park, not the exact spot. Source Source Source Checked
🗓️ Sightings
- 201529 Aug
Completed at the two-day Wara Art Festival (city)
- 20154 Sep
Japan Travel reports the straw dinosaurs at the park
- 20157 Sep
ZME Science shows the straw T-Rex
- 20158 Sep
KAI-YOU: still on display in the park
- 20151 Nov
Display ends (city)
Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
“平成27年8月29日、8月30日と上堰潟公園で行なわれた「わらアートまつり」は、武蔵野美術大学の学生と地域の方々の協力で、「生き物」をテーマにした6作品が完成しました。”
“At the Wara Art Festival held at Uwasekigata Park on 29 and 30 August 2015, six works on the theme of ‘living creatures’ were completed with the cooperation of Musashino Art University students and local residents.”
“作品は平成27年9月から11月1日までの約2ヶ月間展示され、多くの方から鑑賞されました。”
“The works were displayed for about two months, from September to 1 November 2015, and were seen by many people.”
“このわらアートをつくったのは、武蔵野美術大学の学生たち。”
“The people who made this straw art are students of Musashino Art University.”
“Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of these unique sculptures can go to Uwasekigata Park in Niigata City’s Nishikan Ward”
✅ The facts
- Other credit
- Japan Travel credited the 2015 dinosaurs to “Amy Goda, a local artist from Niigata”; the city’s official page credits the students and local residents, and we follow the city Source Source Conflicting
- Title
- ティラノサウルス (Tyrannosaurus) on the city’s list; the festival plate calls it わらザウルス (Warasaurus) Source Source Reported
- Size
- Not stated for this work; the university says its works reach up to 3.5 metres Source Unconfirmed
🔗 Related
- They Actually Built These (10 Photos) — Street Art Utopia
- Niigata City: 2015 Wara Art works
- All Artwork Files
All sources & image credits
- city.niigata.lg.jp: 平成27年度 わらアート作品 (2015 Wara Art works), Nishikan Ward Office, updated 10 February 2017
- city.niigata.lg.jp: festival plate for わらザウルス (image on the 2015 works page)
- kai-you.net: これ藁ってまじ!? 動物を形どった武蔵美×新潟「わらアート」が大迫力 (8 September 2015)
- zmescience.com: Gigantic Straw Dinosaurs are Taking over Japan!, by Mihai Andrei (7 September 2015)
- japantravel.com: Straw sculptures invade Niigata, by Jerome Lee (4 September 2015)
- musabi.ac.jp: わらアートプロジェクト (学生団体WARABI) (PDF, Musashino Art University)
- OpenStreetMap: 上堰潟公園 (map position of the park)
- Image: photographer not credited in the source post, as published on Street Art Utopia; a 16:9 share version was made from it.
Last checked: 31 October 2026. How we verify art