#kuwagata mushi

[tanuki-kimono]

Rustic early autumn hemp obi with adorable insects (cicada, dragonfly, beetles, ants and cricket) pattern, paired with a lovely checkered kimono.

[broodlordocs]

kuwagata. yeah

[aurik6]

Muse answer to  Basic Q&A

Whats your name? Is there a meaning behind it ?:

M: Aomine Makoto, sounds pretty cool, right?  Aomine means "blue peak" and Makoto means "truth"! I think  it suits me perfectly, because, yuo know, im  the one on the right path telling you the objective side of things.

People say my name  is  kinda boyish, well they have a point, though I still like my name.

Any prefered Alias or nickname that you'll like to be called as? :

M: For short form of my name I'd prefer Mako, if you want. Eh, honestly people don't give nicknames, but I remember one time Ayato said I look like a stag beettle because of my hairstyle... And he started to call me  "kuwagata-mushi"...

What kind of person do you think you are? :

Once again, im very honest, despite my own will to be like that. I always  talking about  what I'm  thinking and sometimes it's worthless for me. I've got to say that I'm a total extrovert, huh. I hate be alone.

When is your birthday? How do you celebrate it?:

M: it's 29th of November! I've never met people with the same bday data!

Celebration? Well,  my  usual  celebration is to go to cafés and asking for  a discount! 

What's your age? ：

M: I'm 17, though I've always been told I look way more mature.

What's your gender?：

M: Female, are you surprised?

How tall are you? Are you satisfied with your height?:

M: I'm 5'6 or 169 cm. That's sort of an average height, though lots of my female classmates are smaller than me. And not only girls... But I don't judge peoole according to their height, don't worry. Talking about  my own height – everything is okay,  its easy to find clothes, huh.

Where did you come from?:

M: You mean my origins?.. Well, I'm half-japanese and half... eh.. white? My father, whom I've never met, is American, and my mom is Japanese. They met in America. But I've been living here in Kaminashi-city all my live.

What charm do you suppose that you possess? :

M: I guess people like that im open minded person, they think its easy to use me. But who said I'm not able to defend myself??? Right, they could only think the way  as they like. 

Do a voice impression, will you?~：

M: Voice impression?.. Oh, I know! Shuu!

Ahem-ahem. To do a voice impression of him you just have to pretend you sound sexy, i wonder why, and make your voice lower to edge: "Ah, what a hassle... That's you again here... You noisy  woman, how troublesome... Go away already... "

And you should make his ugly facial expressions as if you hated to open your eyes!

Applause to me!

Name one of your favorite activities, can you?~:

M: I actually enjoy running the trace. Honestly I've been doing this stuff since middle school. Oh, and dancing while music in my headphones playing. I usually get scolded for that from Reiji, because everyone can hear me jumping...

How do you greet someone in the morning?：

M: I just say Morning! Good or bad, not my business!

What's the last thing you say to someone before going to bed?：

M: Hmm... I don't remember! Something like: bye?

Favorite possession (item)? ：

M: I love my headphones and  funky photo collection!

Why not talk about your hairstyle a little?~：

M: Oh, I used to have short hair , then I looked just like my uncle, I took after my grandmother genes when it comes to  hair... Now I'm growing it, hobestky don't know why. Maybe to cut them and sold in the future? *chuckles* I dunno!

Any unique characteristics on you?:

M: My blue eyes, no one in my family has such.

Do you have a special nickname to call someone as?:

M: Of course! Shuu is Mr.Mopp ! When he lies on the school hallway's floor he looks just like a furniture, or a mopp. Especially if you slightly close your eyes. 

What's your favorite color and why?:

M: Favorite color huuh? It's easier to say my least favorite color – that's  orange!  Nasty color. The walls in my room were ginger  just like orange, that was crazy and too bright to sleep there. And favorite color is... blue? I don't think about such things much.

What do you enjoy doing?:

M: I love dancing, and listening to music actually. Also I love to play sport games with Ayato-kun. Though im not a pro in any games with a ball, i like playing  basketball with him.  He's so funny to watch at! So determined for win, ha-ha! But I also was or am like that, so I don't humiliate! 

What's your special skill？：

M: I'm strong enough when it comes to running: I can run and don't feel any breath shortness, or tiredness.

Demonstrate a short love confession! I dare you~ :

M: Love confession? Why and to whom? Well, if it's just for fun I'll do it

*starts singing*

Fly me to the Moon and let me sing among those stars.... let me see what spring is like

On Jupiter and Mars ~~~ In other words, hold my hand, in other words, baby kiss me!

Fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more... You are all I long for, all I worship and adore! In other words, please be true, in other words, I love you! ~~~~

Your favorite food, and why?：

M: I love cherry flavor and everything connected with this flavor, because it's sweet and tart at the same time.

Your favorite drink, and why？：

M: Calpis, because of milky and acidic flavor.

Any favorite book? :

M: The Count of Monte Christo, but only first book. I love adventures! If it's correct for the answer I also enjoy Professor Dowell's Head, it's a science fiction.

Any favorite genre of movie? Hmm, why?:

M: I love detectives. The only genre to keep me interested.

Favorite game? (If none can skip):

M: Guess it's Ace Attorney!

Favorite music? Why?：

M: I love Gorillaz and Queen. Dont know how to explain, i just love their music ! And i adore nearly every song from 80's, that was a begging of synth beats... It's... so good for dancing and for some emotional spreads, like a cure for me.

What's your weakness？：

M: Being alone, therefore having obsessive thoughts.

Anyone that you respect？~：

M: Respect towards my Uncle... When mom just disappeared he was the only person who took care of me, even he didn't want it at all. He had his own child and I was a total drag for him.. Now, when he's gone, I realize how grateful I should be, despite he was a bad parent. And Reiji-san reminds me of him sometimes. I feel that I should respect him too, genuinely. 

Do you have a wish?:

M: Yeah,  but if I say it won't come true!

Anything to say to those that are watching your interview?~：

M: Hope you found something interesting for you! Good luck!

@diabolik-boys thank you for tagging!

[gosetsuenjoyer]

i don’t make pinned posts BUTfor the sake of pinning such a post: hey i’m kuramon this is an xiv sideblog:) follows/interacts are from @kuramons​

main is kuwagata mushi @ lich and you should queue up for ocean fishing with me some day. otherwise behold my tanking and rejoice

i like posting about the big men so expect to see those + character talk + pdfs + art if we’re feeling Really daring. spoilers will be tagged by expac

i intend to hold true to my url

🎣 about page

🎣 characters

[hidakka]

Anime robots and a bug

[possum-tooth]

anon: beetles can lift 800 times their own body weight. while spring in japan may be characterized by cherry blossoms, a common summer sight is beetles. specifically kabuto mushi (japanese rhino beetles) and kuwagata (stag beetles). catching these beetles and keeping them as pets is a popular hobby among children and adults alike. beetles can be found in pet stores all across the country, and there are even stores dedicated to solely selling beetles. children like to catch the males (the ones with the big horns) and make them fight. this popular pastime was tajiri satoshi’s main inspiration for creating pokémon. he wanted other people to feel the joy of collecting their own little creatures. beetles also have a huge influence in japanese pop culture. think of heracross from pokémon or bug catching in animal crossing, and these are just some of the more popular examples. they’ve also been seen as card games (mushi king), action figures (kamen rider), and have been featured in multiple different anime series (one piece, jjba, and many more!). in the toshimaen amusement park in Tokyo, there is an entire section in their insectarium dedicated to beetles. there are even annual events centered around beetles that draw in tons of visitors! however, beetles can be an expensive hobby. while there are some cheaper ones, like kabuto mushi (¥200-600 or $2-6), stag beetles can go for ¥5000 or $50! really big beetles like hercules beetles are about ¥20000 or $200. some beetles you can catch for free, but due to japan’s lenient import laws, many of the beetles you find in stores are mexico, brazil, thailand, and many other countries in asia. unfortunately, beetle hobbyists in the US will have a harder time than their japanese counterparts. america is very strict about what kinds of beetles can be imported, and you can usually only get them if you are a licensed entomologist. however, there are other ways to acquire your own beetle friend! there are many domestic bug stores; bugsincyberspace is the most well known. the beetles here are usually a bit pricier, but that is to be expected as they aren’t super common. north america even has its own native beetles, the eastern and western hercules beetles (dynastes tityus and dynastes grantii). i hope you liked the ‘telling you things’ ask game

i cannot tell you how obsessed i am with this this is the best 6 part ask ive ever gotten

just tell me anything!

[chouhatsumimi]

@soxrox12​ sent me an ask related to my post celebrating 3,000 followers! : “Congrats on 3k followers, your blog is absolutely amazing!! Could you recommend a Kanji based on my studyblr, @hannahsox-studies?“

I would love to recommend you a kanji! In fact, I got a little bit carried away, and am going to recommend you several unusual kanji!

Ok, here come six different kanji, only one or possibly two of which you might ever actually come across:

I was really excited to see that you’re homeschooled and self-studying Japanese, and around the same age I was when I started studying! So I tried looking for words that would reflect that excitement, and couldn’t quite find the perfect one. But I did find this one, which I don’t recall seeing before:

唆 - kunyomi: soso.ru, sosonoka.su  onyomi: sa     meaning: tempt, seduce, instigate, promote

My first though was of the give name 俊輔 (Shunsuke), although that kanji is a little different- it means “sagacious, genius, excellence”, which would have also been a good choice. 

It seems like most of the words that use 唆 fit pretty well with the English word ‘instigate’.  

示唆　shisa　“suggestion; hint; implication“

示唆的　shisateki　“suggestive; pregnant (e.g. pregnant pause)”

教唆　kyousa　“1. instigation ​2. incitement  ​ Law, etc. term“

教唆煽動　kyousa-sendou　“instigation and abetment”  (the third kanji means ‘fan’, so like ‘fanning the flames of wrongdoing’ or something)

and the verbs

唆す　sosonokasu　“to instigate; to tempt; to entice; to incite​“  and

唆る　sosoru　“to excite; to incite; to stimulate; to arouse; to tempt; to stir up”

(not quite sure what the difference is, but I feel like that’s for a different post)

see also: 悪事を唆す　akuji wo sosonokasu　“to entice a person to do something wrong” Anyway, that didn’t quite cover what I wanted it to from looking at your blog. I wanted a kanji with the fire radical 火 in it, so I found a whole bunch of interesting ones that aren’t used very much, just for fun!

炙　kun: abu.ru  on: sha, seki   meaning:  roast, broil, toast, cauterize

炙る　aburu　“1. to warm (e.g. one's hands over a fire); to dry　2. to toast; to grill; to broil; to roast; to scorch”

This one you might actually see, especially at a restaurant or sushi place that serves fish. 

See the bottom row- lightly cooked salmon  (Photo from here)

The kanji is also used in one more way:

炙り出す　aburidasu　“1. to bring into the open; to reveal; to uncover (e.g. evidence); to bring to light”　although you might just see it as あぶり出す

see also: 炙り出し　aburidashi　“invisible writing revealed by applying heat; writing done in invisible ink”

炬　kun: (none)  on: ko, kyo　meaning: torch, signal fire

炬燵　kotatsu　“kotatsu; table over an electric heater (orig. a charcoal brazier in a floor well) with a hanging quilt that retains heat”

As you’ll see in the image below, ‘kotatsu’ is almost always written in hiragana.

Photo from Rakuten (click link for more pictures of kotatsus)

What they don’t tell you about kotatsu is that old-style homes in Japan often have a depression in the floor that you put the kotatsu over, so you can let your legs hang down when you sit at them!   *They also don’t tell you that your apartment might have a trapdoor that could be used as a vegetable cellar and/or co-opted into a kotatsu area...

See also: こたつむり　“someone who curls up under a kotatsu all winter; kotatsu bug; kotatsu snail​“  A play off the word for snail, ‘katatsumuri’ !!

萩　kun: hagi　on: shuu　meaning: bush clover

萩　hagi　1. bush clover; Japanese clover (any flowering plant of genus Lespedeza)​　2. dark red exterior with blue interior (color combination worn in autumn) 　　(That second definition might also be getting its own post)

I might be a little biased because 萩 (Hagi) is also the name of a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where my host sister from my exchange later went to get her nursing degree. The city is also famous for pottery. 

お萩　ohagi　rice ball coated with sweetened red beans, soybean flour or sesame　　https://www.thespruceeats.com/ohagi-botamochi-2031326

鍬　kun: kuwa, suki　on: shou, shuu　meaning: hoe with long blade at acute angle

鍬　kuwa　hoe (tool)

That’s cool, but more importantly...

鍬形虫 / クワガタ(虫)　kuwagata(mushi)　stag beetle

similar to a 甲虫/カブトムシ　kabutomushi　rhinoceros beetle, but arguably the kuwagata is more common. 

Kuwagata on the left, kabutomushi on the right. Photo from here.

Ok, finally time for the last kanji with 火 in it! Last but not least!

鞦　kun: furan.ni , shirigai　on: shuu　meaning: swing

(This is just altogether a very strange kanji! But the radicals mean ‘leather’, ‘two-branch tree’, and ‘fire’, so I can kind of see where they got it from.)

鞦　shirigai　crupper　(I had no idea what a crupper is; apparently it’s “a leather strap fastened to the saddle of a harness and looping under the tail of a horse to prevent the harness from slipping forward”)

鞦韆　buranko　swing; trapeze　Like the kind on playgrounds. I will GUARANTEE you that you will never see this word in kanji, it’s always ブランコ. The word ‘buranko’ probably comes from ぶらぶら burabura, which means “dangling heavily; swaying to and fro; swinging“.  Take the ‘bura’, add on a ‘ko’ meaning ‘small thing that does the thing’, and voila, you get a word for swing!  (Btw, the second kanji appears to mean ‘swing’ as well, but doesn’t show up in any other words on jisho.org) Well, that got very long, but these were really interesting kanji to investigate! I hoped you enjoyed and/or learned something, and I wish you the best with your Japanese studies! 

If you’d like a personalized kanji post, check out my follower spree here!

[despair-ninja-everything-agency]

I just realized Kuuga is an abbrevided version of Kuwagata mushi. As in, the Stag Beetle. Kuuga is a Stag Beetle Rider. It make sense.

Word breakdown: Ku(wa)ga(ta) with an additional "U" after "Ku" in place of "Wa"

I know there's an actual Kanji versions of the word Kuuga, usually containing the Kanji 空 which, in most cases, means "sky". Hence the sky imagery in Kuuga's OP. But the fact that Kuuga is a Stag Beetle Rider seems like an added bonus and a clever word play.

[novvoperpetuum]

Each Creature has his own Value to Exist...by Chance since yesterday with anytime going to be amnisted a lovely "Kuwagata mushi" 🌄💗🗾 https://www.instagram.com/p/CC7TYljgzOQ/?igshid=xn3ayo8zwt8u

[shunbunnohi]

JSP Day 6!

Today was amazing!! I went to a bug exhibition in Tokyo with my friend and I even got TWO BEETLES to keep and care for! It was located in the Tokyo Skytree. I’ve been researching kabuto mushi all summer and I’ve been so excited to finally see one! There was a lot of activities for kids, but there were also fun things that I was into too! There were a lot of gacha pon machines, and I got a cute little nokogiri kuwagata bug from there. I also bought a kabuto mushi plush that holds my train card and a beetle pin that’s on my backpack! 

There was a man selling kabuto mushi and he was very patient with me and answered my questions! I was able to speak in Japanese for most of the day, and even held conversations for about an hour in Japanese. About kabuto mushi! There was a large enclosure filled with logs that had tons of kabuto mushi, both male and female, and kuwagata mushi. 

There was a little boy in the enclosure that saw my friend and I struggling to take the bugs off the trees, and started taking them off for us and giving them to us. Kabuto mushi are very strong, so I feared that I would hurt it if I pulled too hard. The little boys just grab them and rip them off the trees, though. I saw a lot of children being very rough with the bugs. :( They were trying to make them fight, roughly handling them, and one kid was even chucking one at the ground. I had to tell a staff member to make him stop. 

But anyway, the little kid was very sweet! I think he understood that we didn’t speak much Japanese, so he even tried using English a couple times. He would just endlessly bring us bugs. At one point, I even had about five of them on me. They were very cute! I wish that little boy the best in life. 

After a couple hours, we decided to leave the bug exhibition to get lunch. I got a burger from a Hawaiian themed restaurant. I was surprised at how good it was, but since they’re a chain that has a location in Hawaii I guess I shouldn’t have been that shocked. After that, my friend went to go get lunch elsewhere and I got a crepe! It was strawberry, custard, whipped cream, nutella, and a brownie (that I added myself as a topping.) They were also playing Flamingo by Kenshi Yonezu over the speakers, but I could only hear the bass. As in, I felt like they isolated the bass track and that’s all they were playing. 

We took a short trip to the Pokemon Center as well. The kids in there just kinda push and shove you. Actually, most of the kids I encountered that day were kinda rude. They all just pushed you to get out of their way. Anyway, we browsed around at a couple other shops. We found many frog plushies that I wanted, as well as a frog backpack that was very cute, albeit overpriced, and a LARGE backpack that could literally fit me and a friend in it that was actually reasonably priced for something of that size. 

We finally went back to the bug exhibition and we had a long conversation with one of the staff members. He was really nice! He likes American drama shows and wants to visit Hawaii and Miami one day. He told us a lot about kabuto mushi, like the proper way to remove them from a tree without hurting them (apparently the way the little boys do it IS painful for them). He showed us other bugs that were on display and gave us a formal introduction to the bugs in the interactive exhibit. 

At the end, I went to the guy that was selling the beetles and bought two males! I wanted to buy one red and one black, but I think I accidentally bought two reds. Anyway, I love them very very much! They’re a little small, and all the beetles I saw earlier that day were much bigger, but it’s okay! They’re still very very cute and I love them very much. I’m going to try my very best to take care of them! Since it’s the end of summer, they’re already nearing the end of their lifespan, but a couple of the keepers said that if we take good care of them, they can live for another couple months-- much longer than they do naturally in the wild. 

I named them Showa and Edo. Those were very long time periods in Japan, so I’m hoping that if I give them powerful names, it will help them live longer! Since these eras lasted for such a long time, I’m putting energy into the universe that is hoping that these two live for a very long time! Well, as long as a kabuto mushi can live. Which is only a few months longer from now. But still! 

(Left, Showa, Right, Edo. He’s buried under the bedding.)

[tanuki-kimono]

Big gerbera vintage summer kimono paired with a beautiful antique embroidered bugs obi (close up are: stag beetle/kuwagata, praying mantis/kamakiri, Japanese rhinoceros beetle/kabutomushi)

(Bug hunting is still a very popular Summer activity in Japan)

[aurik6]

Muse answer to  Basic Q&A

Whats your name? Is there a meaning behind it ?:

M: Aomine Makoto, sounds pretty cool, right?  Aomine means "blue peak" and Makoto means "truth"! I think  it suits me perfectly, because, yuo know, im  the one on the right path telling you the objective side of things.

People say my name  is  kinda boyish, well they have a point, though I still like my name.

Any prefered Alias or nickname that you'll like to be called as? :

M: For short form of my name I'd prefer Mako, if you want. Eh, honestly people don't give nicknames, but I remember one time Ayato said I look like a stag beettle because of my hairstyle... And he started to call me  "kuwagata-mushi"...

What kind of person do you think you are? :

Once again, im very honest, despite my own will to be like that. I always  talking about  what I'm  thinking and sometimes it's worthless for me. I've got to say that I'm a total extrovert, huh. I hate be alone.

When is your birthday? How do you celebrate it?:

M: it's 29th of November! I've never met people with the same bday data!

Celebration? Well,  my  usual  celebration is to go to cafés and asking for  a discount! 

What's your age? ：

M: I'm 17, though I've always been told I look way more mature.

What's your gender?：

M: Female, are you surprised?

How tall are you? Are you satisfied with your height?:

M: I'm 5'6 or 169 cm. That's sort of an average height, though lots of my female classmates are smaller than me. And not only girls... But I don't judge peoole according to their height, don't worry. Talking about  my own height – everything is okay,  its easy to find clothes, huh.

Where did you come from?:

M: You mean my origins?.. Well, I'm half-japanese and half... eh.. white? My father, whom I've never met, is American, and my mom is Japanese. They met in America. But I've been living here in Kaminashi-city all my live.

What charm do you suppose that you possess? :

M: I guess people like that im open minded person, they think its easy to use me. But who said I'm not able to defend myself??? Right, they could only think the way  as they like. 

Do a voice impression, will you?~：

M: Voice impression?.. Oh, I know! Shuu!

Ahem-ahem. To do a voice impression of him you just have to pretend you sound sexy, i wonder why, and make your voice lower to edge: "Ah, what a hassle... That's you again here... You noisy  woman, how troublesome... Go away already... "

And you should make his ugly facial expressions as if you hated to open your eyes!

Applause to me!

Name one of your favorite activities, can you?~:

M: I actually enjoy running the trace. Honestly I've been doing this stuff since middle school. Oh, and dancing while music in my headphones playing. I usually get scolded for that from Reiji, because everyone can hear me jumping...

How do you greet someone in the morning?：

M: I just say Morning! Good or bad, not my business!

What's the last thing you say to someone before going to bed?：

M: Hmm... I don't remember! Something like: bye?

Favorite possession (item)? ：

M: I love my headphones and  funky photo collection!

Why not talk about your hairstyle a little?~：

M: Oh, I used to have short hair , then I looked just like my uncle, I took after my grandmother genes when it comes to  hair... Now I'm growing it, hobestky don't know why. Maybe to cut them and sold in the future? *chuckles* I dunno!

Any unique characteristics on you?:

M: My blue eyes, no one in my family has such.

Do you have a special nickname to call someone as?:

M: Of course! Shuu is Mr.Mopp ! When he lies on the school hallway's floor he looks just like a furniture, or a mopp. Especially if you slightly close your eyes. 

What's your favorite color and why?:

M: Favorite color huuh? It's easier to say my least favorite color – that's  orange!  Nasty color. The walls in my room were ginger  just like orange, that was crazy and too bright to sleep there. And favorite color is... blue? I don't think about such things much.

What do you enjoy doing?:

M: I love dancing, and listening to music actually. Also I love to play sport games with Ayato-kun. Though im not a pro in any games with a ball, i like playing  basketball with him.  He's so funny to watch at! So determined for win, ha-ha! But I also was or am like that, so I don't humiliate! 

What's your special skill？：

M: I'm strong enough when it comes to running: I can run and don't feel any breath shortness, or tiredness.

Demonstrate a short love confession! I dare you~ :

M: Love confession? Why and to whom? Well, if it's just for fun I'll do it

*starts singing*

Fly me to the Moon and let me sing among those stars.... let me see what spring is like

On Jupiter and Mars ~~~ In other words, hold my hand, in other words, baby kiss me!

Fill my heart with song and let me sing for ever more... You are all I long for, all I worship and adore! In other words, please be true, in other words, I love you! ~~~~

Your favorite food, and why?：

M: I love cherry flavor and everything connected with this flavor, because it's sweet and tart at the same time.

Your favorite drink, and why？：

M: Calpis, because of milky and acidic flavor.

Any favorite book? :

M: The Count of Monte Christo, but only first book. I love adventures! If it's correct for the answer I also enjoy Professor Dowell's Head, it's a science fiction.

Any favorite genre of movie? Hmm, why?:

M: I love detectives. The only genre to keep me interested.

Favorite game? (If none can skip):

M: Guess it's Ace Attorney!

Favorite music? Why?：

M: I love Gorillaz and Queen. Dont know how to explain, i just love their music ! And i adore nearly every song from 80's, that was a begging of synth beats... It's... so good for dancing and for some emotional spreads, like a cure for me.

What's your weakness？：

M: Being alone, therefore having obsessive thoughts.

Anyone that you respect？~：

M: Respect towards my Uncle... When mom just disappeared he was the only person who took care of me, even he didn't want it at all. He had his own child and I was a total drag for him.. Now, when he's gone, I realize how grateful I should be, despite he was a bad parent. And Reiji-san reminds me of him sometimes. I feel that I should respect him too, genuinely. 

Do you have a wish?:

M: Yeah,  but if I say it won't come true!

Anything to say to those that are watching your interview?~：

M: Hope you found something interesting for you! Good luck!

@diabolik-boys thank you for tagging!