2/3/05
(thanks to Salami for telling me about this place!)
Here is another wonderful, eccentric hobby for you!
In Nakano there is a store selling nothing but huge beetles! there is a whole subculture of beetle collectors.
Not only do they have a million crawling scratching biting rolling things, but, they also have an extensive collection of mounted dead bugs from all over the world!!! it is like a free museum.
the beetles are all in tiny cages not much bigger than them. This being Nihon, they have small, individually-wrapped tins of beetle-food. They just sit there with their head in the food tin and don't move. Kind of like a human with a tv!
i interviewed the owner briefly, and here is what i found out--
- KABUTOMUSHI (Helmet beetle) is the most famous beetle in japan, but what Japanese beetle-collectors REALLY want is the KUWAGATA MUSHI (stag beetle) from Malasia.
- In fact, there is a whole magazine devoted to nothing but KUWAGATAMUSHIS! it is called bekuwa. sure, in any other country, beetle-collecting itself would be specific enough, but in Japan, they have to have a magazine devoted to only one kind of beetle.
- Bekuwa is put out by the same folks who run the store. In fact it was originally JUST a publishing firm, having only started retailing in 1996.
- This is NOT the only all-beetle store in town. jesus.
- Most beetle-owners do NOT give their pet beetles names. That was so depressing it made me want to kill myself.
- Also, this being Japan, they have a stuffed kawaii beetle mascot, named OOKUWA-CHI
- the mascot is NOT for sale.
- Beetles smell bad.
take JR CHUO to Nakano -- go out south exit, turn left, walk 3 minutes, mushi-sha is on the right side. no sign or anything but it is next to a DOUTOUR coffeshop. ask the clerk!
MUSHISHA -- nakano 2-23-1 2F.
03-3383-1461
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