The firefly
Hotaru is the Japanese word for a firefly . The two predominant varieties of hotaru in Japan are known as Genji botaru and Heike botaru.
Genji variety "the larger and brighter" was named after the character from the 11th century novel "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu, and the smaller Heike variety was named after the 14th century "The Tale of Heike."
Genji was awarded to the larger bug because it was the Genji clan who defeated the Heike clan in the 12th century Genpei Wars. The fact that the fighting ended around early summer gives this explanation credence, because in Japan, early summer is firefly season.
Despite the warlike nature of their possible namesakes, the genji and heike fireflies are delicate creatures. Their larvae need clean rivers or rice paddies with mineral rich water to grow, meaning the chances to enjoy their delightful glow in urban environments are rare.
Flying in the darkness near the water's edge while blinking their mysterious lights, fireflies are a powerfully poetic image of summer. The peak season for fireflies is around mid-June, though Heike fireflies tend to appear later on.
Since ancient times, people in villages and towns have observed and enjoyed the little lights darting about in the night. Fireflies first appear in literature in the Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest collection of poetry "late 8th century".
They appear in haiku, longer poems and essays right through to the Edo period "1603-1867". In the old days, there was a belief that the lights of fireflies represented the souls of the dead.
It is popular to view the fireflies' glow during hot summer nights "hotaru-gari". However, since hotaru inhabit only clean streams, their numbers have been decreasing in recent years due to pollution.
The Light of the Firefly "Hotaru no Hikari" is probably one of the most popular Japanese songs. It is often sang when bidding farewell to one another such as at graduation ceremonies, the closing ceremony of events, and the end of the year.
The tune comes from the Scottish folk song "Auld Lang Syne," which does not mention any fireflies but it is just that the poetic Japanese words somehow fit the melody of the song.
"Keisetsu-jidadi" which literally translates into "the era of the firefly and snow," means one's student days. It derives from the Chinese folklore and refers to studying in the glow of the fireflies and snow by the window.
There are many tall apartment buildings in the cities, which usually have small balconies. From a distance the light of cigarette outside the curtained window looks like the glow of a firefly.
To understand the deep appreciation of the Japanese for fireflies, there's a need to know a bit about Japanese history and the conflict between the clans of the Heike and the Genji around 1180, which ended in the fall of the Heike clan, so below is the story.
The Story of the Heike
It was a long feud between two big rival of samurai clans, Genji and Heike in the late Heian period. In a broader sense, it includes Hogen and Heiji disturbances but in a narrow sense.
It began in 1180 when Minamoto no Yoritomo revolted at Ishibashiyama after a demand of prince Mochihito to punish the Heike. After the loss of the Fujigawa battle, the Heike gave up the capital in Kyoto and retreated to Western Japan, their power base.
Then they lost Ichinotani and Yashima battles and ended in the famous battle at Dan-no-ura in 1185. The remaining families of the Heike in Western Japan lived secluded in the mountain areas.
*They are all proud to be the descendants of the Heike clan and when they go see the fireflies, it is like seeing the souls of their dead ancestors. These fights "Genpei Gassen" are the subject of many books, Noh and Kabuki plays and other media of Japanese art.
ライク
Ibusuki's fame comes not from its waters, but from its black, volcanically heated sand. This is one of the only times where you don't bathe before entering -- simply don a yukata and plastic slippers, and walk from the changing room outside to the sunaburo (sand bath). There you'll find workers with shovels (ranging from age 16 to 86) who dig a trench for you to lie down in. After you're comfortable, they cover you up and the sunaburo begins.
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