It’s been cool lately, hasn’t it?

Today, I would like to tell you about the voice of insects.

As you know, there are four seasons in Japan. Autumn is a wonderful season here. It is cool and comfortable, and insects gently “cry” in the evening. (Autumn in Japan is from September to November.)

Since ancient times, this insects’ “cry” has been written in waka and haiku. When Japanese people hear　an insect’s “cry”, they feel that autumn is deepening.  As far as we could tell, only Japanese and Polynesians describe the sound of insects as “voice”.

I have heard that Japanese hear the voice of insects in the left brain (language brain) and Western people hear in the right brain (music brain). Therefore, a Japanese person may recognize the “cry” as a word. When taken with the music brain, a person may recognize it as a mechanical sound and even feel discomfort.

One may feel the sound of an insect as “cry” when used to live in the Japanese climate and environment. If you live in Japan for a long time, you may feel the same.

There is a children’s song called “Insect’s Voice”. Insects like “Matsumushi” and “Suzumushi” are “singing away” and making a fun ensemble of insect voices. Please listen to it if you are interested.

Please listen carefully. If you hear insects “crying” on a long autumn night, you might feel the essence of autumn. Sometimes, insects sound like they are singing solo. Other times, they sound like they are singing in a chorus. I hope you can come to Japan to experience the “cry” of insects to really experience autumn.

　Writer:      Future

　Age: 　　     20 years old (self-proclaimed)

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