When we first arrived, we couldn't help but notice the loud chirping all around our Ebisu apartment. There happens to be several patches of greenery nearby and all of it seems to be occupied with some very happy cicadas.
Below: Cicada! The second photo shows a cicada on the sign post to give you an idea of size.
With a little bit of research I found that these cicadas spend most of their lives living in an egg. When they finally hatch and come to the surface they live only a few short weeks so they must aggressively attract mates while they can. The loud chirping sounds they make are termed the "sound of summer" to the Japanese!
Here's a little taste of what we hear everyday around our apartment.
And, of course, the more cicadas, the louder the racket. Here are two clips from Shinjuku Central Park. It's almost deafening!
While the racket can get a bit annoying, I'm sure we will miss it when they all disappear. It'll also be our sign that summer is officially over. :(