There’s a galaxy on the grass too！ Japan’s Six Most Dreamlike Firefly-Watching Spots

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team

On hot midsummer nights, people often yearn for the rural scene described by writer Yang Huan in his poem “Summer Night”: “Following the lantern-bearing fireflies, joyfully traveling through the beautiful summer night.” However, with environmental changes, the global firefly population has been decreasing year by year, and the places where you can see these “galaxies on the grass” have become fewer. In Japan, however, people can still witness swarms of fireflies in many areas with clean water sources. Friends in Taiwan might want to seize the opportunity to experience the charm of summer nights, chasing fireflies with a delicate fan, in the Japanese countryside.

• Tsuboike, Tohwa Town (Miyagi Prefecture)

Observation period: Late June to early July, around 9:00 PM

Observation location: Tsuboike area, Tohwa Town, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture

The Tsuboike area is a natural habitat for Genji fireflies and has been designated as a national nature preserve. When visitors come here, they can see Genji fireflies fluttering across the sky, along with their shimmering reflections on the clear streams and the waters of the Tsuboike River, creating a spectacular light show as thousands of tiny lights dance by.

• Tatsuno Town, Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture))

Observation period: Early to late June

Observation location: Tatsuno Town, Kamiina District, Nagano Prefecture

At Japan’s top-ranked firefly attraction, the “Firefly Nursery Rhyme Park,” when firefly numbers are high, you can sometimes see up to ten thousand Genji fireflies dotting the starry sky in a single day, creating a romantic and fantastical scene that feels like being in a galaxy in outer space. During the Shinshu Tatsuno Firefly Festival, there are also various traditional stalls, dance performances, and cultural activities nearby.

• Asuka River (Gifu Prefecture)

Observation period: Early to late June

Observation location: Tanjugihara, Yokogawa Town, Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture

In the ancient village of Yokogawa and the Asuka River area of Yokogawa Town, Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture, you can see a magical pathway of green lights as poetic fireflies drift across the grass in the summer breeze, leaving observers spellbound. Other great viewing spots in the northern region include the Hannou River, Katsura River, near Kamigami Shrine, and the Ibo River countryside in Ueno.

• Tori River Firefly Village (Aichi Prefecture)

Observation period: Late May to late June, around 8:00–9:00 PM

Observation location: “Tori River Firefly Village,” Tori River Town, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture

Along the banks within a 2 km stretch of the “Tori River Firefly Village Spring,” listed among Japan’s Top 100 Famous Waters, is a habitat for many wild Genji fireflies. At peak times, about 500–1,400 fireflies flutter through the air.