Armadillo bugs - Dangomushi

Every afternoon the kids are spending time with their neighbours and their cousins, riding bikes, kicking soccer balls or hunting for bugs. I am not too keen for them to catch something and keep them in baskets but they seem to be releasing them after a while so it is ok I guess.

One of their favourite bugs is called dangomushi in Japanese. They are pretty much everywhere and easy to catch as if you touch them they curl up and become a little ball.

Luca especially is not scared of anything so he touches whatever he sees.

When I was a kid there were so many places I could go without worrying about cars and bikes but now there is too much traffic around our house and so few empty sections and fields they can go in. People used to be more generous so they let the kids play in their rice fields etc but not anymore...

I guess we are still lucky to be in the countryside. I hope it won't change too much.