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   Kotaro (kotaro@kotaro.me)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jun-2026 18:07:58 JST Kotaro

   in reply to

   • Trash Panda

   @raccoon Japanese swallows traditionally played a role in pest control for rice farming.
   
   Since I'm not a rice farmer, personally I'd rather they get rid of the hornets building a nest on the side of my house, though.
   
   So, if you chase the swallows away, all sorts of bugs will breed during Japan's hot and humid summers, which is a real pain.

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     Kotaro (kotaro@kotaro.me)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jun-2026 18:08:02 JST Kotaro

     in reply to

     • Trash Panda

     @raccoon Personally, I don't think the swallow's song is all that beautiful, but for many Japanese people, myself included, swallows are deeply connected to rice farming and are birds that remind us of our roots.
     
     So, even if they build nests on our homes as they please and scatter droppings everywhere, we shouldn't get rid of them for that reason alone.
     
     After all, we can't forget where we came from.

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     Trash Panda (raccoon@hollow.raccoon.quest)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jun-2026 18:08:02 JST Trash Panda

     in reply to
     @kotaro@kotaro.me
     I don't know what they sound like, I was mostly thinking of their appearance. I think they're pretty.
     I didn't know the connection to rice farming.
     In general I feel like we shouldn't get rid of any animal, unless it's an intrusive species that doesn't belong in a specific ecosystem, those can cause serious damage.
     In which ways are swallows connected to rice farming?
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     Trash Panda (raccoon@hollow.raccoon.quest)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jun-2026 18:08:03 JST Trash Panda

     in reply to
     @kotaro@kotaro.me
     They are very beautiful birds :)
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     Kotaro (kotaro@kotaro.me)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jun-2026 18:08:04 JST Kotaro

     People in Japan view coexisting with swallows very positively and place great importance on maintaining their habitats.
     
     Look at this. The station staff at our local station take excellent care of them.