Yoko Oginome -- Mushi no Tsubuyaki（虫のつぶやき）

 

Currently I have no particular qualms when it comes spiders and insects (and yes, I am well aware that spiders are NOT insects). In fact, when I was a kid, I was rather fascinated by ants and termites. However, I did end up with arachnophobia for several years in my childhood and adolescence which began when I was visiting Japan for the very first time as a 6-year-old in the wilds of Wakayama Prefecture. Let's say this...if you're an entomologist, you'll love my grandfather's area. If not, you may want to steer clear and keep within the city. Bugs are big there and when I saw my first tiger spider (like the one above) and got caught in a huge web...I don't think I was ever quite the same. My brother and I even saw a huge army of ants taking apart a centipede right on my grandfather's home's floor.

However over time, living in Toronto where insects are far smaller, my arachnophobia subsided and even when I was living in Japan for almost 2 decades, I wasn't fazed by cockroaches (although many Japanese are) or even by the daddy long legs that was always in one corner of the ceiling of my tiny unit bathroom while I was taking a shower. I would say that I felt sympathy for the spider since each of its eight eyes could see me naked. You simply can't un-see that.😝

And yet for millions of kids around the world, insects are a source of curiosity and wonder. And for the last several weeks, I've been seeing this adorable video on NHK's "Minna no Uta"（みんなのうた）series of songs for kids. Titled "Mushi no Tsubuyaki" (Insect Tweets), it's actually written, composed and performed by former 80s aidoru Yoko Oginome（荻野目洋子）as she also plays on her ukulele while singing about introductions by various insects.

As is the case with many of the "Minna no Uta" songs, "Mushi no Tsubuyaki" is another catchy tune that has managed to tweak my ears. It was put out in August this year as Oginome's first single via digital download. Hopefully, it'll also help allay some fears that people might have about the insect kingdom, although I don't the native Japanese will ever quite be happy with cockroaches, especially the flying ones.

The above video is actually not from "Minna no Uta" but, according to the singer herself, an animation based on the single jacket's illustration.