The Soundtrack of Japanese Summer (Whether You Like It or Not): Cicadas

♪ Min, meen, meen♪,  what do you think about this sound ? These sounds represent Japanese summer. It’s called semi no nakigoe (蝉の鳴き声), which means the sounds of cicadas. Semi (蝉) means cicadas. I used to love to catch them in my childhood but now I’m a bit scared of them, let alone touching them. When you can hear that cicadas are buzzing in July, most Japanese can tell, “It’s summer!” Today, I’m sharing how Japanese people appreciate cicadas in summer. Let’s get started! 

1. Me and cicadas

As I said earlier, I used to be into catching cicadas in summer. Like many kids, it was our thing for summer activities in my rural area. I was taught that cicadas spend most of their time in the soil for years, and when they pop out of it, then, they live only around week. It’s really transient and a bit sad, I believed. Sometimes kids are cruel and grab cicadas and put them in a cage even though they know they don’t live very long. When you find the shell of cicadas, which is their cast-off skin, it is considered a lucky charm. I used to bring it carefully to my house. Even now you can see every kid is excited about catching them in the park in Tokyo. They are a kind of hero for kids. 

2. Basic Information 

I’m not an expert, but in my opinion, there are roughly five major species. 

1. Min Min Zemi: When you ask Japanese people to think about cicadas, this is the first species that comes to mind. It’s a middle sized guy. They sing “min, min, meen.” Sometimes it’s annoying.
   Annoyance Level ★★★★★
   　
2. Abura Zemi: It’s a middle-sized guy. They sing “jiri jiri.” 
   Annoyance Level ★★★★★
   　
3. Kuma Zemi: Kuma means bear, so it’s a big-sized guy. The color is darker than others. They sing “washa, washa, shaaa.”
   Annoyance Level ★★★★★
   　　
4. Tsuku Tsuku Boshi: The size is medium. The wings are transparent. They are named by their sound: “tsuku tsuku boshi〜♪”. When I was a kid, this guy was my favorite. It’s hard to come by in Tokyo.
   Annoyance Level ★★★
   　　
5. Higurashi: It’s really rare to find them. They sing “kana, kana, kana.” It sounds like nostalgic and bittersweet memories for Japanese people. You might hear this sound in Japanese anime. They often sing at sunset. It feels a little bit sad. Actually it’s really rare to find one in Tokyo. Whenever I listen to the sounds, it feels like summer is coming to the end and we’re getting a hint of autumn. Most Japanese can empathize with that.
   Annoyance Level ★

3. Silence, Rain, and Empty Shells

• 閑さや岩にしみ入蝉の声: It means cicadas’s voice are sinking into the rocks. This is one of the most famous haiku, “okunohosomichi,” written by Matsuo Basho in 1689. The louder the cicadas’ voices are,  the more the silence is exaggerated.
   
• 蝉時雨 (semishigure): 時雨(shigure) means rain. This word refers to the situation where cicadas are buzzing loudly like the rain.
  　
• 空蝉 (utsusemi): It means empty shells. Also, it is used as a metaphor for this fleeting world or a mortal human being in ancient Japanese literature.

4. Tips for Tourists 

The best season for finding cicadas is from the end of July to early September. You can find them on the trees at parks, temples, and shrines. At the beginning of August, you might find empty shells on the trees if you’re lucky. 

Last But Not Least 

See? Now you can hear the cicadas’ voices differently. You already sense that summer is around the corner whenever you hear the voices. I’m not going to lie, I’m not good at dealing with them as I get older. Whenever I find cicadas on the road, they look dead, but then they are still alive and burst off of the ground. It really makes me freak out. It’s called 蝉爆弾 (semi-bakudan), which means “cicadas bomb.” Or in another way, Semi-final. It’s a kind of play on words. Semi is cicadas (蝉), and Semi-final means that cicadas burst out at the end their lives. So you shouldn’t let your guard down whenever you find something that looks like a dead cicada. The noisy cicadas can make the humid summer more annoying. That being said, whether you like it or not, cicadas tell you a lot of things in Japan. Thanks for reading my article to the end.I hope you enjoy the humid summer with cicadas. See you in my next article!

Kazu. K

I worked at a trading company for many years. I live in Tokyo with my wife. Love skiing, traveling, IPAs, wine , X-treme sports, fashion, and learning English and Chinese.