In Japan, insects are an important part of culture and everyday life. This tradition goes back to the Heian era and continues today. Insects are found in old stories like The Tale of Genji and in modern manga and anime like Mushishi. People enjoy seeing fireflies in gardens and hearing crickets in cages. Shops sell special jelly food for insects, and some rare kinds can cost up to 20,000 yen ($133). Many people keep insects as pets, and some famous people like to hunt for them. Professor Munetoshi Maruyama from Kyushu University has found 250 new insect species and says they are always interesting to study.

In Japan, children learn about insects from a young age. They read books, join school activities, and go on bug-hunting trips. Nets for catching insects are even sold in convenience stores. Watching a caterpillar change into a butterfly teaches children about life cycles. Insects also help scientists study climate change. Bees and ants can communicate and find their way back to their nests. Insects are important for pollinating plants and supporting food chains. At “The Great Insect Exhibition” in Tokyo, visitors saw beetles like the Hercules beetle and learned how touching insects can help with learning and thinking.