Nagano, a community located in central Japan is urging young people to learn how to catch and cook the local’s aquatic insects in order to preserve their dying practice. The famous insects are caddisflies and stoneflies larvae colloquially known as Zaza. According to a report, these insect cuisines were conserved before as sources of protein. As licensed fishers continued to decline in the community, serving insects food among locals also decreased. Thus, local authorities organized an activity where young people can catch and eat Zaza to preserve its legacy.

Last January 2019 at an event, students from a local agricultural high school watched a demonstration of three fishermen’s traditional skills for catching the larvae. After the catching-event, the students were served with the insects made into Tsukudani dish. Taisei Imamura, one of the students who participated, shared that the insect dish was crispy and it tasted like shrimp. Imamura also added that it was fun catching the larvae. Aside from this initiative, Nagano Prefecture and Ina City officials plan to advocate prefectural food through tasting events at boutiques in Tokyo.