The beginning of spring is excellently marked by the coming of pink cherry blossoms in Japan.
And during summer, there is a beautiful phenomenon.
In June and July is the firefly or Hotaru season, when most individuals flock to rural areas and forests to have a glimpse of the bioluminescent bugs.
But the Japanese photographer Usadadnuki witnessed the magical event and shared the great images online.
In Japanese culture, fireflies are thought to be the souls of soldiers that died in the war.
And during the hot summer nights, thousands of insects fly across the landscape while their lights brighten the scene.
Since the fireflies occupy only clean streams, their numbers have been decreasing due to pollution.
That’s why various photographers, including Usadadanuki, are so much keen to capture the gripping event.
However, photographing fireflies is not easy, but photographer Usadadnuki managed to capture their fleeting movements using the long exposure technique.
After the capturing – the resulting atmospheric images look like something from a real-life Studio Ghibli film.
The soft-bodied appears as other mystic flashes of light that dance through forest floors, temples, rivers, and shrines.
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