The Scarecrows of Kaminada

A rabbit scarecrow in Kaminada.

Another friendly Kaminada face greets drivers as the road narrows.

Kaminada's scariest scarecrow scowls and carries farm tools which look more like menacing weapons!

Other Kaminada scarecrows are friendly, like this TV celebrity and 2012 dragon.

Keeping a buttoned eye on the hydrangeas in Kaminada.

More scarecrows rest in the farmer's shack. Many are used to raise awareness of safe driving while others serve a more traditional purpose in the fields.

A Shirakawa scarecrow takes a break from her hard work to daydream as traffic passes by.

Meanwhile within the Matsuyama city limits, more sinister scarecrows scare more than just birds!

Plastic heads used by student hairdressers are recycled and used as scarecrows. Nets and plastic garbage bags on poles mimicking crows may serve an additional purpose, but the red paint on the dolls' necks does not.

The trend is evident in Masaki too, where the plastic heads can be found in loquat trees.

At harvest time, the scarecrows' work is done...

... but they will be back again next year.