The 5th is one of the 24 solar terms, and is said to be the time when insects that have been hibernating during the winter begin to move.
At Hikone Castle in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, work was carried out to remove the ``komo'' that was wrapped around pine trees to protect them from pests during the winter.
Komo-maki is a traditional extermination method that lures pests that can kill pine trees into a warm "komo" wrapped around a tree during the winter.
There are approximately 100 pine trees at Hikone Castle, and in the morning, in the light rain, 13 staff members from the center that manages the castle worked to remove the ``komo'' that had been wrapped around them.
At a row of pine trees along the Nakabori moat called ``Iroha Matsu,'' where some of the pine trees are over 300 years old, staff members worked in pairs to cut the cord wrapped around the tree with scissors to remove the ``komo'' and find insects inside. I was checking to see if it was included.
Several types of insects, including the pine beetle, which kills pine trees, were found in the ``komo,'' and there were more insects than in previous years.
Toshiaki Miyagawa, director of the Hikone Castle Management Center, said, ``I thought there would be few insects this year due to the mild winter, but I was surprised to see so many.When I take off the insects, I can feel that spring is coming, and it feels refreshing.'' I was there.