I held my breath, feeling very nostalgic, last weekend when I saw a father and his young son in a park near where I live. They both had nets in their hands and a couple of plain white butterflies in their insect cage. It could have been a scene from my own childhood, when children would spend day after summer day catching insects in the fields. They would keep them, feed them and make a picture diary of their lives, or produce specimen cases later - both typical summer assignments in those days.

Japanese children still love insects - but they don't tend to come from wildlife-rich fields any more. They are few and far between in towns and cities, and urban parks are well maintained using insecticides, while much of the earth has been paved over. Today's seasonal scene sees young children and their mothers flocking to special 'bug corners' set up in department stores and supermarkets. They are amazed by the magnificent specimens - particularly huge stag beetles - and swallow-tail butterflies, often priced around 2,000 yen ($141). Even ant colonies are available. And, of course, you can also buy their food - and books to tell you how to feed them.