Ki no Tsurayuki
The first poetic description of "matsumushi" is credited to Ki no Tsurayuki (905 A.D.). Suzumushi is featured in an eponymous chapter of "The Tale of Genji" (1000–1008 A.D.) which, according to Hearn, is the oldest Japanese account of an insect hunt. Crickets and katydids ("mushi") were the staple symbols of autumn in haiku poetry. The Western culture, unlike its Japanese counterpart, regards crickets as symbols of "summer". American film producers routinely insert clips of cricket sounds to tell the audience that the action takes place in summer.