Now that the peak of summer has passed, most of us are probably thankful that the heat is going to dissipate and we can live our lives free from ever-present pools of sweat.
For me, the end of summer brings an added joy — all those menacing-looking insects that pop up across Japan start to collectively pack their bags and bugger off for another year. Bliss.
I know creepy-crawlies aren’t exclusive to Japan, but as a Brit, pretty much all I ever had to deal with growing up were ladybugs and spiders — and unfortunately for me, I have arachnophobia. I’ve had it since I was about 8, coinciding roughly with the time I watched the “horror comedy” film “Arachnophobia” for the first and only time. Living in the countryside, spiders weren’t exactly uncommon, and my parents’ house certainly seemed to get its fair share of the big, black-bodied variety. When I go home for a visit, I still hesitate to go into the loft or the garden shed.
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