The poetry of vanishing light The poetry of vanishing light
The poetry of vanishing light
Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan (© tdub303/Getty Images)
In Okayama Prefecture, when humid air settles over a stream, hotaru—Japan's fireflies—begin signalling. On warm, windless evenings, they often start glowing about two hours after sunset under favourable conditions, inviting silence beside water.