The best part of autumn is hearing the night insects.

friend cricket, sing louder
i can't hear you
from my bath

^{Listening to Crickets at Dōkan Hill by Hiroshige}

Finally the evenings are starting to get cooler here. Maybe the true autumn is finally coming! And with the cooler evening weather, we are getting some night insects, especially the crickets. As I've written before, listening to the night insects in Japan is a very traditional sign of autumn, and one that people have long looked forward to. Me included.

Bathing in Japan is another long tradition. Growing up in the States, taking a bath was always considered a thing for children only. Some adults might enjoy it, but bathtubs in general are too small for adult sized people to really enjoy soaking, which may aid the image that they are only for kids. In Japan, however, bathing is considered much more important for everyone. Bathtubs are much deeper so that the water level can be at shoulder height and we can really soak and relax.

Both of these traditions I have embraced—especially the last. Soaking in a hot bath at the end of the day is one of those small pleasures that really make the end of the day so much more enjoyable.

The other day I was listening to the crickets after the sun went down. It was getting late so I wanted to go take my bath, but then I was disappointed that I couldn't hear them anymore from the small window in my bathroom. Mentally I started urging them to sing louder. Then I realized I had a haiku.

❦

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon.