Village of Japanese emperor

Since the beautiful purple-winged Great Purple Emperor, the national butterfly of Japan, was discovered in Soden-cho in 1980, the Great Purple Emperor Protection Society was formed and has been steadily working to protect the butterfly, such as planting Chinese hackberry trees, which the larvae feed on, setting up protective nets, and conducting habitat surveys. Currently, every year from mid-June to late August, nearly 1,000 larvae emerge inside large protective nets, revealing their beautiful form. On the first Sunday of July, a gathering to return the Great Purple Emperor to nature is held.