0145 Electronic Fireflies

It’s New Year in Japan which means…it’s time to sing about fireflies. The song Hotaru no Hikari or light of the fireflies is as well known and beloved as Auld Lang Syne is in the West; in fact, it’s sung to the same tune. The Japanese: firefly connection goes back to the 8th Century when poets used them to represent human passions. But pollution and development have depleted the number of fireflies. So what’s a New Year’s reveler to do? Buy Denshi Hotaru, life-sized, electronic lightning bugs housed in the traditional bamboo cage. All you need’s a couple of double A batteries and the flick of a switch. Oh yeah. And eighty dollars. Happy New Year. #ceas #greene #japan #varner