The miracle of insects
Mariko Tagami
It's 4:30 in the morning, and before dawn has even begun. In the chilly air, it's hard to wake up, as if your body is melting into your warm futon.
This Wednesday marks the start of winter and the arrival of real winter, but how is everyone doing?
I moved from Kanagawa Prefecture to Kurate Town, next to Miyawaka City, where Utsushiki is located, two years ago, and this is my third winter since then.
Our garden, which is located on the same property as my landlord's house, is a truly luxurious place where the vividness of the red and orange berries of persimmons, pomegranates, Japanese pepper, and ground cherries, which are unique to this season, is captivating.
Two years ago, we didn't have this luxury, but the beauty of nature always seemed to save us.
And now I realize that the influence of nature is huge.
Raising children in the countryside, a place rich in nature
When I was still living in Kanagawa
Although I admired that environment, I was afraid of the insects that were an inseparable part of it.
Shortly after moving here,
People in the town sometimes come up to me and ask, "Are you okay with the bugs?" or say, "There's nothing here, there's just bugs everywhere."
On top of that, I had heard that "mosquitoes in Kyushu are the worst," so I was extremely afraid of insects at the time.
Not a day goes by without seeing these insects in our house.
Stink bugs and fairly large spiders are always in the corners of the room.
My encounters with cockroaches and centipedes, which I hate, are nothing compared to when I was in the Kanto region...
However, perhaps that environment was a good thing for me, as now I'm no longer afraid of insects, and I'm even amazed by their structure, patterns, and colors.
Maybe it's the influence of my Nausicaa-like husband and innocent son... lol
Maybe I just didn't know enough about insects.
Now that I see insects on a daily basis, when I observe them closely I find them amazing and even beautiful.
(Not all of them though...)
We may have all felt this way at least once when we see the patterns on moths' wings or the artwork created by spiders.
It's strange, but the Japanese honeybees that visit the tea tree in Utsushiki Garden also seem cute when you learn that they won't sting as long as you don't attack them.
By the way, there are a lot of praying mantises in Utsushiki, and they are often seen sitting on the furniture or floor like ornaments lol
Remembering the scenery I first saw two years ago,
This autumn, I was once again captivated by the beauty of plants, and realized that the richness of nature is only possible thanks to the miraculous work of insects.
The cold weather is coming, and the insects are quieting down, but I hope that the winter will be full of brightness for everyone.
Mariko Tanoue
