There are many curious references in the old Japanese classic literature
to the custom of keeping musical insects. For example in the chapter
entitled _Nowaki_[1] of the famous novel “Genji Monogatari,” written
in the latter part of the tenth century by the Lady Murasaki-Shikibu,
it is stated: “The maids were ordered to descend to the garden, and
give some water to the insects.” But the first definite mention of
cages for singing-insects would appear to be the following passage
from a work entitled _Chomon-Shū_:--“On the twelfth day of the eighth
month of the second year of Kaho [1095 A. D.], the Emperor ordered
his pages and chamberlains to go to Sagano and find some insects. The
Emperor gave them a cage of network of bright purple thread. All,
even the head-chaplain and his attendants, taking horses from the
Right and the Left Imperial Mews, then went on horseback to hunt for
insects. Tokinori Ben, at that time holding the office of _Kurando_,[2]
proposed to the party as they rode toward Sagano, a subject for poetical
composition. The subject was, _Looking for insects in the fields_. On
reaching Sagano, the party dismounted, and walked in various directions
for a distance of something more than ten _chō_,[3] and sent their
attendants to catch the insects. In the evening they returned to the
palace. They put into the cage some _hagi_[4] and _ominameshi_ [for the
insects]. The cage was respectfully presented to the Empress. There
was _saké_-drinking in the palace that evening; and many poems were
composed. The Empress and her court-ladies joined in the making of the
poems.”
* * * * *
This would appear to be the oldest Japanese record of an
insect-hunt,--though the amusement may have been invented earlier than
the period of Kaho. By the seventeenth century it seems to have become a
popular diversion; and night-hunts were in vogue as much as day-hunts.
In the _Teikoku Bunshū_, or collected works of the poet Teikoku, who
died during the second year of Shōwō (1653), there has been preserved
one of the poet’s letters which contains a very interesting passage on
the subject. “Let us go insect-hunting this evening,”--writes the poet
to his friend. “It is true that the night will be very dark, since there
is no moon; and it may seem dangerous to go out. But there are many
people now going to the graveyards every night, because the Bon festival
is approaching[5];--therefore the way to the fields will not be lonesome
for us. I have prepared many lanterns;--so the _hata-ori_, _matsumushi_,
and other insects will probably come to the lanterns in great number.”
* * * * *
It would also seem that the trade of insect-seller (_mushiya_) existed
in the seventeenth century; for in a diary of that time, known as the
Diary of Kikaku, the writer speaks of his disappointment at not finding
any insect-dealers in Yedo,--tolerably good evidence that he had met
such persons elsewhere. “On the thirteenth day of the sixth month of
the fourth year of Teikyo [1687], I went out,” he writes, “to look for
_kirigirisu_-sellers. I searched for them in Yotsuya, in Kōjimachi, in
Hongō, in Yushimasa, and in both divisions of Kanda-Sudamachō[6]; but I
found none.”
As we shall presently see, the _kirigirisu_ was not sold in Tōkyō until
about one hundred and twenty years later.
* * * * *
But long before it became the fashion to keep singing-insects, their
music had been celebrated by poets as one of the æsthetic pleasures of
the autumn. There are charming references to singing-insects in poetical
collections made during the tenth century, and doubtless containing
many compositions of a yet earlier period. And just as places famous
for cherry, plum, or other blossoming trees, are still regularly
visited every year by thousands and tens of thousands, merely for the
delight of seeing the flowers in their seasons,--so in ancient times
city-dwellers made autumn excursions to country-districts simply for
the pleasure of hearing the chirruping choruses of crickets and of
locusts,--the night-singers especially. Centuries ago places were noted
as pleasure-resorts solely because of this melodious attraction;--such
were Musashino (now Tōkyō), Yatano in the province of Echizen, and Mano
in the province of Ōmi. Somewhat later, probably, people discovered that
each of the principal species of singing-insects haunted by preference
some particular locality, where its peculiar chanting could be heard to
the best advantage; and eventually no less than eleven places became
famous throughout Japan for different kinds of insect-music.