Summer's Here and the Time is Right...

Summer has truly arrived here in Yanai, and with it, a chorus of shrieking and shocking creatures, some of which appear to have decided that there sole mission in life should be to stop me from sleeping. Others meanwhile are just too darned adorable for words.

Ushigaeru (American Bullfrog)

These gargantuan amphibians have rapidly become the bane of my existence. The first night I heard them, I had no idea what the hell they were. I envisaged some great beast from the underworld, their cavernous croak echoing along the riverbanks like the roar of Cerberus himself. Intrepid, I grabbed my torch and, pyjama clad, discovered to my ire that the source of the ruckus was just a ruddy frog. Since then, these softball-sized buggers have kept me awake many a night with their choral cacophony.

Hien (Swallow)

The swallow is truly a delight to watch; their svelte form gliding through the skies with an unrivalled grace. This particular chap was one of a pair who decided to nest above the back door to my school, greeting me every morning with a warning attack. Eventually, their nest yielded three gorgeous little hatchlings, all of whom have since flown the coop, leaving nothing more than an empty nest. Perhaps some soup is in order.

Maimai (Groovy Snail)

This chap was just too cute. Settled on the underside of a bamboo leaf, he really was one of the prettiest snails I’ve come across. I must say, surprisingly, considering the current raininess, I’ve seen very few molluscs. The occasional slug crops up, but I do believe this is one of the only snails I’ve actually come across.

Inoshishi (Eurasian Wild Boar)

I’ve been desperate to find a wild pig since I got here. It’s a dangerous adventure, what with their fiery temperament and lethal tusks, and as such I have taken the coward’s route and avoided venturing into the woods at night. So it was with a real air of melancholy that I witnessed this unfortunate youngster floating downstream a few days ago. Maybe 50cm from nose to tail, it could only have been a few weeks old. On the plus side, I now know that they’re definitely out there.

Kusagame (Reeve’s Pond Turtle)

Turtles are one of my favourite beasties round these parts. Every time I see one, I find myself grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Usually, however, it’s just the ninja terrapins that come to say hello, so I was delighted to meet this little cutie. Smaller than his infamous cousin, and with a curious black face, I was most pleased to be graced with his greeting.

Tombo (Dragonfly)

Dragonflies here are bloody huge. Every size and colour is buzzing about right now, and this particular one decided the best place to be picking up a mosquito buffet would be my bedroom. A biscuit tin trap soon saw him on his way though. He did however spend the rest of the evening glaring menacingly at me from the other side of the screen door.

Kumo (Spiders)

With the heat comes mosquitoes, and with the mosquitoes come spiders, feasting merrily on anything that should be foolish enough to stumble into their webs. This fellow (not actually white; that’s just the flash…) decided that my window would be the best place to set his trap. I must say, since he moved in, there’s been a lot less midges invading the flat. Hazah!

Aogaeru (Green Tree Frog)

This little beauty was sat, rather inconveniently, on the handle of my front door when I returned home last night. About the size of a squash ball, he was relishing in the evening’s offerings of flying delicacies. Utterly tame, he allowed me to snap away for a good fifteen minutes, completely nonchalant to my obvious delight at his presence.