イナゴ
いなご
noun
locust; rice grasshopper
1.
locust; rice grasshopper
A type of grasshopper found in rice paddies and fields throughout Japan. Historically an agricultural pest that damaged rice crops, but also traditionally eaten as food in certain regions.
田んぼにイナゴがたくさんいた。
There were lots of locusts in the rice paddy.
イナゴの佃煮は長野県の名物だ。
Candied locusts simmered in soy sauce are a specialty of Nagano Prefecture.
イナゴの大量発生で農作物に深刻な被害が出ることがある。
A locust swarm can cause serious damage to agricultural crops.
Usually written in katakana as イナゴ when referring to the creature (standard for animal/insect names in Japanese). The kanji 稲子 or 蝗 exists but is rarely used in modern writing.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- イナゴの佃煮 — locusts simmered in sweetened soy sauce (a traditional preserved food)
- イナゴの大量発生 — locust outbreak / locust plague
- イナゴ捕り — catching locusts (a rural activity, once common for children)
RELATED TERMS:
- バッタ — grasshopper (broader category; イナゴ is a specific type of バッタ)
- 蝗害 — locust plague (damage from locust swarms)
- 害虫 — harmful insect; pest
CULTURAL NOTE:
Eating insects (昆虫食) has a long history in certain regions of Japan, particularly in mountainous areas like 長野県 and 群馬県. イナゴの佃煮 (locusts simmered in soy sauce and sugar) is the most well-known example and is still sold commercially today. In recent years, insect eating has attracted renewed interest as a sustainable protein source.