3 Incredible Insects of Japanese Summers
Why three bugs symbolize the season.
For many people, “summer bugs” makes them think of mosquitos, June bugs, and biting flies. Yuck!
But for the Japanese, summertime is associated with three very special, symbolic insects: the cicada, the firefly, and the dragonfly. Why? Read on!
Cicada
Heat waves and the rainy season may mark Japan’s summers; but in that country, summer hasn’t officially begun until the cicadas start singing. They’re as iconic to summer as the cherry blossoms are to spring!
The cicada’s ubiquitous cry is present in almost every anime or Japanese video game. It’s so famous, even people who live outside Japan have probably heard it:
That iconic chirp is from the minmin-zemi, also known as the min-min cicada. The Japanese are big fans of onomatopoeia — words used to express sounds — and this particular cicada species’s song was interpreted as, “miiiiiiiiin, min min miiiiiiiiin.” If you say it in a nasally tone, you hear it too. 😅
Cicada’s are also strongly linked to Buddhism. The concepts of rebirth and renewal are central to the Buddhist faith; and the cicada shedding its shell to be “reborn anew” is a powerful representation of these tenets.
Personally, I’m quite fond of cicadas. They’re herbivores, meaning they don’t want to bother people. And no matter how dreadful a hot, summer day, a cicada’s cry will put a smile on my face.
Firefly
If cicadas embody the sound of summer, fireflies embody its sight. Known as hotaru, it’s easy to see why Japanese fireflies are considered magical.
The two most common species in Japan — the Genji firefly and the Heike firefly — are named after two legendary samurai clans. There’s a ghost in Japanese folklore called the hitodama, a restless soul that wanders our lands in the form of a wispy flame. Great firefly swarms at samurai battlefields looked like hitodama haunting their place of death; so fireflies became associated with the souls of those lost to war.
Firefly-watching parties are popular nighttime events. Some of these festivals are quite grand, with taiko drummers, food stands, and Shinto ceremonies.
It’s said there are three requirements for fireflies to thrive:
- Rivers that run clean;
- Lights that aren’t too bright;
- And riverbanks that are grassy.
Because of this, fireflies are also associated with the old, agrarian Japan. They represent a simpler, pre-industrial time. This because of how ecologically vulnerable they are; and as pollution and urban expansion has increased, the sensitive fireflies have dwindled in showing.
But every so often, these animals return in the summer. And the sense of awe and wonder hits you just like the first time you saw them.
Dragonfly
Dragonflies — or tonbo — were particularly beloved by samurai, who appreciated the little predator’s swiftness and dignity. In fact, dragonflies used to be called kachi-mushi, which means “victorious insect.”
But not only warriors loved dragonflies. Commoners and everyday people admired the flying predators because of what they ate: mosquitos. In fact, after bug nets, a large dragonfly population was the second-best way to keep babies safe from the parasites. In this way, dragonflies acquired a reputation not only as a hunter, but as a guardian of children.
It’s not hard to see why dragonflies are wonderful animals.
As for how they fit into summer: Dragonflies come into adulthood in late summer. In autumn, winter, and spring, they spend their lives in larval and nymph phases. Then when summer rolls around, you see these splendid fliers dancing around waterscapes. Between the light reflected off the water’s surface and the metallic dragonflies, it’s a brilliant spectacle.
Bugs are beautiful
In the western world, bugs are all painted as creepy-crawlies, only worth the effort of getting squashed. But if you look to other cultures, you’ll find that bugs are just as incredible and beautiful as any other animal.
Hopefully I’ve changed your mind. Maybe the next time you spot — or hear! — one of these three bugs, you’ll take a moment to appreciate them!
