Why I’ll Never Visit Japan in Autumn!

My favourite season undoubtedly is autumn, and being able to catch Japan’s autumn before all the leaves wilted was quite a sight for sore eyes.

I could go on and on about my carefree, countryside life living in Kanazawa as a digital nomad for over 8 months. But the one thing I didn’t miss during my stay in Kanazawa?

STINK BUGS.

It’s scientific name is halyomorpha halys and the Japanese call it kamemushi. It is native to the forests of Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. They are a kind of crop/ garden pest that feed on fruits and crops like soybean. They lay eggs from June through September.

Coming face to face with stink bugs

I seriously did not know they existed until my trip to Kanazawa in November. First I spotted them in our Airbnb lurking outside windows. Phew – good thing this Airbnb closed all their windows to the outside world, I thought.

It was when we moved in to our place that was deeper in the Hakusan countryside, that it became apparent that it was going to be part and parcel of my life. Because we moved into a flat that had been vacant and untended for awhile, the stink bugs were omnipresent – mostly found in door and window sills.

I’m usually not one to fuss about bugs (much), but these silent demons are ruthless! Granted, they are harmless when alive and dead. They don’t bite or sting. The way they work is, if threatened, they release a pungent smell, thus the nickname stink bug. The smell then lingers for a long time, no matter where you are and how you seem to diffuse your air with air fresheners. Thus, the important lesson here is to never kill it with your bare fingers.

I take great pride in keeping my home clean, and I thought I could live in peace and harmony once I expunged them completely.

I WAS FAR FROM WRONG.

They would creep up when you least expect it.

Such as when I’m ready for bed, it would appear right next to me on the wall. Or how when I’m cooking, it would accompany grand master chef that is me, crawling beside me. Why can’t I just live in peace?! The thing we couldn’t figure out was how they can so sneakily get into the house when all the windows and doors were closed! You can also imagine my horror when I find them right next to me when I’m naked in the shower.

Why do they like residing indoors in homes?

When the weather starts getting cooler, they escape indoors to hibernate, often nesting in warm, dark and dry places. That’s why you’ll notice their presence during the period when fall turns into winter.

They wriggle their way through any crack line or structure to get away from the rain and snow. Popular places are air conditioning vents and the gaps between window panes. During winter, they just miraculously disappear.

The horror story of a stink bug

Among the stories of them trespassing our home, the most dramatic one came when Phil was drinking his soup when he commented that it tasted funny. I thought they tasted fine. Then he chewed on something crunchy.

Sensing something was amiss, he spat it out. After we spent a minute scrutinising what was left of the remains, we realised it was the carcass of the. freaking. stink bug.

He gagged the moment we realised what it was. He washed his mouth clean, but the taste still lingered. It was absolutely horrifying. Only when I suggested for him to down some hard liquor did he come back to some semblance of normal.

How to get rid of stink bugs

When we asked the locals how they get rid of them, they point us to masking tapes. The good thing about stink bugs is that they are dumb enough that they won’t notice when you approach them and they don’t move fast, so it’s easy to stick the tape on them, wrap them up and toss it. DO NOT CRUSH IT, because that’s when their pungent smell is released.

I wasn’t that much of a fan of this method, since I don’t even want to go close to them, much less touch them. Usually I leave Phil to do the dirty work each time I scream in their presence.

I’ve read countless of articles about how to get rid of them and experimented with some of the home-made methods – not because I was a cheapo, but because IT WORKS.

The most effective method I found was to mix dish soap with water and spraying on them or drowning them in it. My balcony was always infested with it and often, in exasperation, I would just dump a huge bucket of water mixed with dish soap to flush the hell out of them.

Why not use insecticide, since by the sound of it, it is supposed to get rid of all insects? THEY DON’T WORK. Don’t even bother.

The local Japanese (especially those who live in the country) are so used to them they will not be alarmed if you alert them. At best, they’ll offer a roll of masking tape. That’s what most onsens will offer – a masking tape during the stink bug season.

It probably won’t be so bad if you’re usually out exploring the local areas and are not home for most parts of your time in Japan, or if you don’t live in the countryside, or if your home is sealed well.

I’m only reacting this way because considering I was a digital nomad living in the countryside, it was natural to spend most of my days at home. Battling the stink bugs out while being hard at work at home thus wasn’t a fun matter.

The (creepy) woes of countryside living

If you live up in the countryside, you’re also privy to a whole lot of other creepy crawlies like spiders and centipedes. Having been a city girl my whole life, this was something I had to brace myself and prepare for. I’ve heard horror stories of how centipedes creep up from toilet bowls or hide in closets or the edges of the floor.

Sure enough, I’ve had my encounter once, and good thing there was a man in the household to deal with it. It was an all-out war chasing that fast wriggly beast that I’m not sure I want to face again.

Still curious about my life living in the countrysides of Japan? Let me know in the comments!