By Avi Landau
Getting around Tsukuba ON FOOT can sometimes results in a big pay-off – even at night, when its raining! Ten years ago, after having been stood up for an appointment near Tsukuba University, I started walking home. There was a slight drizzle which soon turned into a steady shower. I was heading east, and the narrow rice-paddied valley along the banks of the Hanamuro River is almost completely shielded from any light. It was like walking into a bygone age. I crossed the river and the croaking of the frogs turned from a hum into an almost deafening roar. I realized that the farmers must be making rice for THEIR OWN CONSUMPTION on this side of the valley and using FEWER PESTICIDES. Thus the abundance of LIVING CREATURES. Turning southward along the field I was startled by an ever-so delicate streak of dancing light! I stopped in my tracks even though I was getting wetter by the minute. A spot of light and then more streaks here and there filled me with the thrill of discovering a species long thought extinct. There were wild fireflies (hotaru,蛍) there!
For the next few summers the shiny critters could still surprisingly be seen at the same spot. I say surprising because there had been lots of home-construction in the area and I was worried that the purity of the environment had been disturbed. But cycling or walking back home at night I would find myself passing by a gentle swirl of streaking lights. I would stop for a while to enjoy the spectacle several times every season!
Then, starting three summer ago, I was unable to detect any of the “lightning bugs”, no matter how many times I checked or how long I stayed at the spot…. and I tried to console myself by saying that it was inevitable… with all the developement… and so close to the station… and I tried to think of how lucky I had been to have enjoyed them for all those years.
Still, for the next two years I’d go back to the spot on a late June night or two… hoping that maybe….
but always left disappointed…
TILL LAST YEAR (2023)!
With a surge of inspiration that seemed to come out of nowhere, I declared that I was going to cycle out to the “firefly place”… just in case.
It had been an extremely hot and muggy day, but by seven thirty at night, the air had cooled considerably and the ride out toward the rice-fields was much more comfortable than staying at home. I turned off the main road and headed into the darkness. The lonesome sound of male frogs calling out for mates filled the air as I navigated the narrow, winding roads with only the moonlight to dimly illuminate the way.
I came to the spot. I stopped. I slowly scanned the area. Nothing. I walked my bike down the road (toward the north) for about 20 meters – to the next set of rice fields…. A GLOW…. and ANOTHER…. and ANOTHER STILL…. the fireflies were back!
Older Japanese fondly remember the abundant fireflies, which before the widespread use of agricultural chemicals (especially those sprayed from helicopters by local governments), would delight them each rainy season. Catching fireflies in a jar was once one of the most popular and memorable childhood games of summer. Now children have to be taken to special parks or institutes which artificially breed the light-making insects. Fees are charged and large crowds make the setting highly commercialized.
There are two main types of fireflies in Japan. The larger type is the Genji-botaru and the smaller one the Heike-botaru (they are named after the two warring clans of the late Heian Period which in English we refer to as the Minamoto and the Taira).To tell the truth,Im not sure which types the ones I found are.
There are dozens of great poems inspired by the firefly with many going back to the Manyoshu, the great collection of poems compiled in the Nara and Early Heian Periods.
Of course, it is possible to see wild fireflies at a few places in Japan and even in Tsukuba City (on Mt Tsukuba for instance, or nearby it- in Yamaguchi or Kangori). It was exciting however to find that the little love sick bugs might be making a comeback with walking distance of Tsukuba Center.
If you’d like more details about where to go Hotaru viewing, contact me. I will try to get a map with details posted soon.
COMMENTS
- Richard Melgarejo – Dear TsukuBlog. Just read your article about the Hotaru. Would love to go, minus the heavy transportation fees.is this the river east of Takezono. I’d like to request more information. You mentioned a map. It would be greatly appreciated.RichieLike
- Avi Landau – Hello Richard and thanks for writing.
You are correct in that the Hanamuro River is just east of Takezono. Where the fireflies can be seen is north of the Tsuchiura Gakuen Line, however, in the neighborhood called Higashi-Oka.
The easiest way to get there would be to turn left at the Hanamuro Inrtersection ( if you are coming from Tsukuba Center) and go straight through the first traffic signal. After a few hundred meters you will see the illuminated tennis courts on the right side of the road ( these are part of the old Sakura Branch Office).
When you get to these courts, slow down, because you will want to turn left on the narrow road just opposite a small community center and Fudo Worship Hall ( a traditional structure ).
When you do make that turn DO NOT GO STRAIGHT as it is a dead end.
Take the first bend and then follow it all the way down towards the paddy-field filled valley.
THings will be completely DARK there. You will find the fireflies at the edge of the paddy fields just at the bottom of the hill you will go down.
Walk up and down that narrow road and you will surely find plenty of fireflies.Good luck getting there
and
EnjoyI will still try to put up some sort of a map Cheers, Avi - Ivan Kurniawan – Dear Avi,I am very interested on your writings! Especially about the local nature in Tsukuba.
Do you think we can still find the fireflies these days?
Just wondering, and several days ago I tried to go paddy-field filled valley as you suggested, around 8 pm.
However, no fireflies there. I do not know if it is not the right time or even the right place.
Do you mean the Fudo Worship Hall as this place https://goo.gl/maps/egHc7fBeymF8Jmif9 ?
I would like to hear from you. Regards,Ivan - avilandau– Dear Ivan,
It’s good to hear from someone interested in our local flora and fauna – thank you for writing. I went to the firefly spot this evening (perfect conditions for HOTARU viewing), and was disappointed to find not a single glow anywhere in the vicinity. Hopefully, it is because it is still too early – lets wait another week! A more pessimistic view though, would be that all the development in the surrounding area (and the cutting away of the tall grass that grow thickly on the east sided of the narrow road) as well as the installation of those street lights, have lead to a local “extinction”. I will keep checking (perhaps again tonight!) and will be in touch. Tomorrow I will provide info on some more firefly viewing spots in Tsukuba and the surrounding area. All the best Ivan, and hope to hear from you again! - avilandau – Hello again Ivan! The firefly season has indeed been underway in Tsukuba, with the popular spot this year being at Mt. Hokkyo (Hokkyozan) in Oda, Tsukuba. The Hotaru are in the rice fields about 200 meters or so from the parking lot.
- Ivan Kurniawan -Thank you very much, Avi! I will check it soon!By the way, what do you think about how long will the firefly season (especially in the Oda area) last?
Can we still find the fireflies in mid-July? - Ivan – Dear Avi,I just checked the rice fields near Hokyozan Parking Lot around 8 pm, and I found several fireflies!
Thanks to your suggestions, it was so ethereal! If possible, I will go there again!Again, thank you very much for your information, and I am looking forward to your next writings! - Fireflies Back! – It was a long and tiring day yesterday, but for some reason, as the sun started going down, I felt compelled to get on my bike and pedal over to Higashi-oka, Tsukuba (just north of the Hanamuro Intersection) to check and see whether the fireflies that I used to enjoy watching there each summer were still there ( they had apparently disappeared forever after a restaurant – the Dada shokudo – was put in right next the rice fields they lived in). It took me no more about 20 minutes of hard pedalling to get there – the last leg along narrow roads in complete darkness (I did not want to disturb the fireflies if they were there) to the accompaniment of a roaring frog- chorus.
I finally came to the spot. I stopped. I slowly scanned the area. Nothing. I walked my bike down the road (toward the north) for about 20 meters – to the next set of rice fields…. A GLOW…. and ANOTHER…. and ANOTHER STILL…. the fireflies were back! A link to a map of the area (Dada Shokudo) has been added to the post.
There are some other areas in Tsukuba where you can watch fire-flies – I have some info on them to the post.
Enjoy – but remember DO NOT TAKE THE FIREFLIES OR DISTURB THEM WITH LIGHTS , etc.
TsukuBlog 