“Today, I am delighted to let you know that I am currently in talks with an experienced producer from Japan,” Kang said in a video update reflecting on the history of Year of the Ladybug.

But in some parts of Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, they've long been eaten as side dishes. Now, a local newspaper has caught the bug, too. The "Shinano Mainichi Shimbun" dates back almost 150 ...