蜂
bee; hornet; wasp
Kanji 2109
bee; hornet; wasp
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Synopsis
Find out why some Japanese eat bee larvae and "royal jelly," what traditional Japanese beekeeping involves, how Japanese and Western honeybees differ, and where bees thrive in Japan. Learn to count bees and to say that they're buzzing or that a swarm has attacked! Read about "buzzing" in the ears and bee uprisings, and see why a figurative queen bee seems sexy and marketable in Japan.
Revision history:
June 3, 2021:
- p. 2: Added the Henshall etymology.
- p. 5 sidebar: Slightly modified my comment about the surname 蜂巣.
- p. 9: Slightly modified the discussion of 蜂屋柿 (hachiya persimmon).
- p. 17: In the quiz answer, I changed Spizaetus nipalensis to Nisaetus nipalensis.
- p. 18: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
May 8, 2015: Originally published.
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