Insect mound - Mushizuka

Japanese: 虫塚 - むしづか

There are various reasons for erecting insect mounds, such as: (1) to hold memorial services for insects when they are infested with pests; (2) to indicate a place of prayer for sending off insects; (3) to hold memorial services for insects killed in large quantities as a hobby, occupation, or research; (4) to commemorate special insects or the places where they originate; (5) stone monuments bearing poems or haiku poems related to insects are also called insect mounds. Famous examples of (1) include an insect memorial tower built in 1685 in Kase-cho, Saga City; Zentoku-zuka (also written as Zentoku, a dialect word for black stink bug) built in 1772 in Obama City, Fukui Prefecture; and two insect mounds built in 1839 in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

虫塚の建立（こんりゆう）には次のようないろいろの動機がある。(1)害虫多発の際の供養のため，(2)虫送りの祈禱所を示すもの，(3)趣味や職業上，研究上などで多量に殺虫をした虫の供養，(4)特殊昆虫やその発生地を記念するもの，(5)このほか昆虫に関する歌碑や句碑を虫塚と呼ぶこともある。(1)は佐賀市嘉瀬町にある貞享2年(1685)の虫供養塔や，福井県小浜市にある明和9年(1772)の漸得塚(善徳とも書きクロカメムシの方言)，石川県小松市の2基ある天保10年(1839)の虫塚などが有名である。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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