The Prices of Singing Orthoptera as Pets in the Japanese Modern Monarchical Period

Articles about the prices of singing Orthoptera in five Japanese newspapers published between 1888 and 1937 are reviewed in this study. According to these articles, 14 species of Orthoptera were sold at festival stalls. I state their prices and have converted them to present-day U.S. dollar amounts. The price of Meloimorpha japonica (de Haan, 1844), of the family Eneopteridae, was the most inexpensive and most stable among the 14 species. Other topics, such as how they were used in different settings, are also introduced.