Why Did People in Japan Listen to Insects in Autumn?

“Dōkan-zan Mushikiki” (Listening to Insects at Dōkan-zan), from Edo Meisho Zue, Vol. 5 Edited by Saitō Chōshū; illustrated by Hasegawa Settan; published 1834–1836 Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library Nature & Animals
“Dōkan-zan Mushikiki” (Listening to Insects at Dōkan-zan), from Edo Meisho Zue, Vol. 5 Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library

When autumn arrives in Japan, the sound of insects can be heard from the grasses and fields.

For centuries, people in Japan have enjoyed these sounds not simply as sounds of nature, but as part of the beauty of autumn. Listening carefully to singing insects was known as mushikiki, or “listening to insects.”

Listening to Insects on Autumn Evenings

Singing insects such as suzumushi and matsumushi were especially appreciated.

Mushikiki was one of the pleasures of an autumn evening. During the Edo period, people even went to famous places known for their insect songs to enjoy them.

They could also keep singing insects at home and listen to them in small cages.

In other words, the sound of insects itself was something to enjoy as part of the season.

Singing Insects Were Sold in the Edo Period

During the Edo period (1603–1868), there were vendors who sold singing insects.

People bought insects and took them home, where they could enjoy their songs in cages.

They also went out to listen to insects at famous spots, sometimes spreading mats and drinking sake while enjoying the sounds of autumn.

Singing insects were a familiar way to experience the changing season.

On the left side of the picture is an insect vendor with a lantern advertising “fireflies, matsumushi, suzumushi, kusahibari, and various other insects.” In the center is a goldfish seller, while on the right is a plant vendor.
On the left side of the picture is an insect vendor with a lantern advertising “fireflies, matsumushi, suzumushi, kusahibari, and various other insects.” In the center is a goldfish seller, while on the right is a plant vendor.
Ennichi no Kei (Toshidama Frame) Utagawa Kunisada, Yamamotoya Heikichi, publisher
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library

The Sounds of Autumn Today

People rarely buy insects to keep at home today, but the pleasure of listening to insects on autumn evenings remains.

There is a habitat for kantan, a small singing insect, near my home. The area is protected so that the insects can continue to live there.

Instead of bringing insects into our homes, we can preserve the places where they live and listen to their songs there.

Perhaps this is one modern form of mushikiki.

The song of a tiny insect still tells us that autumn has arrived.

Kantan is a small katydid that is known for its beautiful song in autumn. It lives among grasses and produces a clear, delicate sound that can be heard on autumn evenings. It is one of the insects traditionally enjoyed for its seasonal song in Japan.
Kantan is a small katydid that is known for its beautiful song in autumn. It lives among grasses and produces a clear, delicate sound that can be heard on autumn evenings. It is one of the insects traditionally enjoyed for its seasonal song in Japan.

Referance

Kano Kōji, Naku Mushi Bunka-shi: Mushikiki Meisho to Mushiuri, HSK, 2011.