イナゴ

Usually written in katakana as イナゴ when referring to the creature (standard for animal/insect names in Japanese). The kanji 稲子(いなご) or 蝗(いなご) exists but is rarely used in modern writing.

Common collocations

• イナゴの佃煮(つくだに) — locusts simmered in sweetened soy sauce (a traditional preserved food)
• イナゴの大量発生(たいりょうはっせい) — locust outbreak / locust plague
• イナゴ捕(と)り — catching locusts (a rural activity, once common for children)

Related words

• バッタ — grasshopper (broader category; イナゴ is a specific type of バッタ)
• 蝗害(こうがい) — locust plague (damage from locust swarms)
• 害虫(がいちゅう) — harmful insect; pest

Cultural note

Eating insects (昆虫食(こんちゅうしょく)) has a long history in certain regions of Japan, particularly in mountainous areas like 長野県(ながのけん) and 群馬県(ぐんまけん). イナゴの佃煮(つくだに) (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.