Since last week, the cicadas known as Tsukutsukuboshi have begun to sing—their call is one of the season’s unmistakable markers that summer is drawing to a close. Though the heat still lingers at a sweltering 35°C (95°F), their voices remind us that the end of summer is near.
The Tsukutsukuboshi are found mainly in Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku, but they are rarely seen in Hokkaido or Okinawa. Their cry is unlike any other, so distinct that it’s worth listening to at least once.
↑ The call of the Tsukutsukuboshi
As the western sky glows crimson, giving way to deepening indigo, the sound of Higurashi cicadas rises from the thickets. True to their name—literally “sunset cicadas”—they sing most often as dusk descends. Around this same hour, it’s common to see a small flock of crows cawing as they make their way back to roost.
This, too, is part of the beauty of the Ehime countryside.
