Custom of Japanese people to eat eel on specific day
The Japanese customarily eat eel to regain energy and stamina and to alleviate suffering from the summer heat on the day known as the Midsummer Day of the Ox, Doyo-no-ushi-no-hi, which traditionally falls around the end of July on the ancient Japanese calendar. Those specific summer days, doyo, last for a couple of weeks before the first day of summer. The Midsummer Day of the Ox occurs around July 20, and this year's designated day is today, July 24.
In recent years, as the number of natural eels has drastically decreased, we have been eating farmed eels caught from the fry migrating from the Mariana Trench area in the Pacific Ocean. However, the catch of the fry has also been drastically decreasing, and the reality is that we have been supplementing the catch with Chinese ones. This year, the market price of fry has skyrocketed, and the cost of Chinese fry is also high due to the weak yen.
Eels are rich in vitamins and other nutrients and are said to be effective against summer fatigue, but eating them to the fullest is becoming increasingly difficult.
Naruse has many chain restaurants where you can eat eel at reasonable prices.
