The Midsummer Day of the Ox, or “doyou no ushi no hi” in Japanese, is the traditional day to eat grilled eel. As the exact date is determined by a zodiac calendar system, there are some cases in which the day falls twice in a year. This year it falls on both 25 July and 6 August.
Domestically produced eel is more abundant this year than last, due to declining feed costs, which in turn is due to better South American catches of sardines and anchovies for fishmeal, according to industry experts.
However, retail prices are not expected to fall. Years of increasing prices have caused many shops specializing in eel to close, but those that have remained open have seen increased demand from Chinese tourists. Relaxed visa requirements for Chinese and Southeast Asian visitors has greatly increased tourism in recent years. Chinese tourists, in particular, like to try Japanese foods.
Another notable trend is young eel being marketed before Ox Day. Early eel, aged less than one year after hatching, are now being delivered to shops, and some shops are featuring these as the first eel of the season. The texture is said to be fluffy with thinner bones and skin, and the young eel sells for about JPY 100 (USD 0.90, EUR 0.80) more per 100 grams than mature eel.
However, in terms of obtaining the best product, eel tastes better in the fall, after the Midsummer Day of the Ox has passed, as they put on extra fat with the approaching cold.
