It’s better than having a front row seat.
The popular Japanese YouTuber Megwin has released a video in which he uses his face as a “ring” for Japanese rhinocerus beetles to battle on.
The Japanese rhinoceros beetle, or as it is known in Japanese kabuto mushi, is perhaps one of the most popular insects in Japan. Boys in the rural areas of Japan love catching these bugs in the summer and playing with them. Although they may look intimidating with their samurai helmet-like heads, they are not poisonous and for the most part are very safe to handle. However, they can be quite territorial and when in close proximity to another male beetle they tend to get aggressive. This personality trait has resulted in people in Japan developing the beetle equivalent of cock fighting. Ｃａｌｌｅｄ kabuto mushi sumo (Beetle Sumo), this ‘sport’ involves people placing two (or more) male beetles on a log or similar raised platform and watching the insects try to push each other off of the platform. Much like in sumo, the one that pushes the other out is declared the winner at the end of the battle. And it is exactly one of these “Beetle Sumo” battles that Megwin decided to hold, except instead of a log he decided to use his face.
In the video Megwin can be seen putting a bit of insect food in his nose to get the beetles excited and then lying down. His crew then places three beetles on his face and that’s about all you need to know because Megwin spends the rest of the video screaming.
Check it out below.
