I went field recording for the sounds of Higurashi cicadas singing early in the morning on Mt. Kurohime in Nagano Prefecture

This year, I decided to record everything using a self-made second-order Ambisonic microphone. I visited Mt. Kurohime in Nagano Prefecture many times in April, June, July, and August, working to refine my recording techniques while feeling the changes in the seasons. It was truly a field recording training journey.

It turned out to be a whirlwind bus tour of Nagano using the Obon holiday, but since I went to all that trouble, I finished the video with the momentum I had upon returning to Tokyo!

Nagano, Mt. Kurohime captured with a self-made 3D audio microphone: The soundscape of a summer forest where Higurashi cicadas sing

In spring, the sounds of birds dominated the forest, but in summer, it is undoubtedly the sounds of insects.

Higurashi cicadas are strongly associated with their melancholic evening calls, but they also have a habit of singing in unison during the very short period around sunrise in the early summer morning.

If you listen closely, you can hear not only the Higurashi cicadas but also the morning chirping of birds, the drumming of woodpeckers, and the sounds of other insects. Please, take a listen.

Recording Notes

Here is an introduction to my equipment. The self-made second-order Ambisonic microphone that always appears in my recent recordings. Eight microphone capsules are arranged evenly, allowing it to capture a 360-degree, omnidirectional 3D sound field.

The microphone is equipped with a wind shield called a 'windjammer' and a suspension system called a 'shock mount' to reduce vibration noise, and it is set at a height of about 2.5 meters.

The microphone is set up in the forest using a stand. A height of about 2.5 meters is not much compared to the trees in the forest, but it still allows for the recording of sounds from the air that are different from those on the ground.

The microphone preamplifier I used this time is the RME OctaMic XTC. It is an 8-channel microphone preamplifier that allows for remote gain control from a distance, and although it is a rack-mount type device, it is a compact and lightweight model that is easy to carry.

Recording is done from a remote location using a PC. Although the microphone location and the PC location are several tens of meters apart, the digital audio reaches the PC from the site without degradation via the optical fiber cable.

If I work near the microphone, it picks up my own footsteps and work sounds, but with remote recording from a distance, I don't have to worry about such things and can concentrate on the work while listening to the sound being recorded in real time. The recording software I use is Pro Tools.

Sounds of Mt. Kurohime by season

I have also released videos of the sounds of Mt. Kurohime from other seasons, so please listen to them if you like.

Forest Soundscape June 7, 2026

These are the sounds of an early summer forest, lively with the chirping of birds.

Plants of Mt. Kurohime June 2026

38 types of plants from Mt. Kurohime in Nagano Prefecture.

Bird sounds at the foot of Mt. Kurohime April 11, 2026

It is still the season before new buds appear on the trees. Since the birds were not singing much yet, I inserted some bonus footage at the beginning of the video of Eurasian nuthatches, willow tits, and varied tits coming to the feeding station to eat sunflower seeds.

Summer 2025

The chirping of Higurashi cicadas and the plants growing in the surrounding area

I am continuously serializing information about my DIY Ambisonic microphone in a magazine.

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