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Insects were soul food in medieval Japan!

Insects were probably more accessible than they are today because the Jomon period (primarily a time of hunter-gatherers) was a time of natural foods. In regions far from the sea and where fish were hard to come by, insects were probably consumed by many people as a source of protein. Mainly in mountainous regions, it was a common sight for children to eat larvae of the Paper wasp or locusts.
In Japan, locusts, a rice pest, were eaten along with the spread of rice cultivation, killing two birds with one stone: pest control and food security. Silkworms, which were propagated in the 3rd century, are believed to have been widely spread and eaten by the Asuka period.
Insects were used in Chinese herbal medicines introduced from China during the Heian period (794-1185), so, likely, many insects were also eaten for medicinal purposes. Since sericulture was already practiced in this period, it is believed that people ate the chrysalis of silkworms and other insects. A famous encyclopedia from the Edo period mentions that locusts were eaten as kabayaki (roasted locusts). (bottom)
イナゴのかば焼き

From " Morisada Manuscript (Encyclopedia)" by Morisada Kitagawa
Other foods eaten during the Edo period included Cybister japonicus and turtles. They were fried or boiled, but it is said that the standard was tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce).

Why is it that insects are no longer eaten in Japan these days when they used to be such a popular food?

It is thought that this is due to the rapid change in people's habits due to westernization during the Meiji Restoration.
There, a trend of abhorrence to eating insects spread, and Entomophagy became a distant concept to people.

But in reality, many insects, including locusts and crickets, are still eaten in Nagano, Yamagata, and Gunma prefectures.
Why do insectivores remain in these areas?

That's because mountainous areas such as Nagano Prefecture are far from the sea, so fish is hard to come by. So it is believed that insects were consumed by many people in mountainous areas as a source of protein.

During the Taisho era, a nationwide survey of edible and medicinal insects was conducted. Fifty-five species were eaten for food and 123 for medicinal purposes.

From "Survey on Edible and Medicinal Insects" by Tsunekata Miyake.

Surveys were conducted immediately after the Pacific War and recorded that larvae of bees and ants, locusts, adult grasshoppers, and even eggs of turtles were eaten.
It was also found that entomophagy was mainly prevalent in the Chubu and Kinki regions.

Until the 1960s, Japan was relatively tolerant of the presence of insects. However, today, insects are frowned upon and entomophagy is less common.

Today's climate of insect hatred has been amplified by pesticide commercials and the subjectivity of housewives. It's inexcusable, even though they are by no means filthy!

The current climate of insect hatred has been amplified by insecticide commercials and the subjectivity of housewives. It's inexcusable, even though they are by no means filthy!

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