&quot;Tawada was alluding to the idea that Japanese appreciation of insects is one marker of Japanese cultural uniqueness... A major proponent of this Japanese &quot;insect appreciation&quot; argument was Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), the Irish author celebrated as the Westerner who has perhaps come closest to grasping the unique &quot;soul&quot; of Japan.&quot;<p>This fits in to the Nihonjinron[1] literary genre of Japan, which explores Japan&#x27;s alleged uniqueness.  Hearn was leading light of the Nihonjinron genre.  It also fits in with Japanese Nationalism[2] and Orientalism[3].<p>[1] - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nihonjinron" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nihonjinron</a><p>[2] - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Japanese_nationalism" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Japanese_nationalism</a><p>[3] - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Orientalism" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Orientalism</a>