In the past if somebody invites me to watch fireflies, I would probably look at that person stupidly. Who would waste time to watch fireflies? They are beautiful when you chance upon them but I won't spend time travelling for almost an hour to some grassy place just to see fireflies. But that was in the past and this is what I actually did last Saturday- riding a bus for almost an hour to a grassy place just to watch fireflies as if I've never seen one.
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| photo credit: http://www.gtia.jp/kokusai/english/traveling/event_200906.php |
The sight of fireflies was lovely but not impressive. I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting a spectacular display of fireflies. It doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate the fireflies, I was just anticipating for more.
However, what I appreciated more is how the Japanese people took time to watch these shining creatures. There were a lot of people during the firefly watching. Families roamed around taking pictures, bent old people sitting while watching the fireflies and young couples holding hands savored the blinking sights. There was a communal feel to it like a group of people coming together to celebrate creation. Even if it is as small as fireflies.
In Hamamatsu, you can watch fireflies until the 20th of June at the Flower Park. It's from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Entrance fee is 500 Yen. In other areas, check your prefectural tourism websites, Most prefectures also have firefly viewing for this month.
