Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
fish
In a dark, dilapidated building in Bangkok’s concrete jungle there’s a secret wildlife haven not many people know about. Though the place has been abandoned by people, it’s now embraced by nature in the most spectacular way, with hundreds of fish swimming peacefully around pylons and under escalators in what was once a bustling, four storey shopping mall.
Certain types of Japanese food, like tempura or grilled yakitori chicken skewers, are pretty agreeable to Western palates. In recent years, sushi has made inroads into the international dining scene, too.
Many non-Japanese diners, though, still feel a little hesitant about kamaboko, or fish cake. Despite its mild flavor, there’s just something incongruous about it in many people’s minds. It’s actually pretty tasty stuff, though, and if you’re on the fence about trying it, we should point out that it has a surprisingly mild flavor.
Or, perhaps we could entice you with this special variety of kamaboko that, when cut, reveals an elegant hydrangea pattern.
As a kid, I went through a stage where I bugged my parents to let me have a dog. My dad, though, wisely realized that he would be the one who ended up having to take care of it, so jokingly told me that I couldn’t have any animal I wasn’t prepared to eat.
Apparently a woman in China took the same philosophy regarding her grandson’s pet, only she didn’t bother to tell him before she cooked it for dinner.
“Add a lot of cute decorations to the room we’re staying in!” says the blue goldfish with a matching blue tiara. No this isn’t a joke; uncommonly cute anthropomorphic goldfish are just a part of the marketing campaign for a completely customizable fish tank aimed at young children in Japan. With a fancy backdrop and jewels galore, it’s a far ways away from the plastic aquatic plant or bubbling clam shell in typical aquariums.
Last autumn Japan was treated to a new way to enjoy KFC: Kentucky Fried Fish. At that time our reporter Kuzo was lucky enough to sample a few sticks before the entire nation converged on the fast food chain and devoured the crispy battered fish sticks faster than KFC could supply them.
As a result the KFF campaign came to an abrupt halt in under two weeks time due to lack of ingredients. However, from 6 February, KFC Japan says they have reworked their logistics and are reviving Kentucky Fried Fish! This time we sent in Megu to check it out.
In a somewhat complicated story we’re not sure is heartwarming or kind of devastating, three middle-aged Tokyo fishermen have accomplished what experts thought was impossible by single (triple?)-handedly bringing an area fish species back from the brink of extinction by illegally catching them.
The three men, according to their accounts, caught the fish and, upon learning that they were on the endangered species list, contacted experts and aquariums for advice on breeding them – either for the sake of fishkind or for the sake of tons of delicious illicit fish meat.
Here at RocketNews24, we’ve had many discussions about the nontraditional flavors found in sushi around the globe. But, as it turns out, Japan has made quite a few changes of its own to the country’s staple dish. That’s not to say that the standard fare of fish on rice has been bumped from the menus. Rather, a lot of interesting new flavors have found their way into sushi bars across the nation. And it’s this new form of innovation that’s lead to the incredible expansion of the kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) market.
With all of the weird and horrifying animals that seem to be coming out of the ocean recently, we thought we had seen it all. But a Facebook user recently posted a picture of a fish that looks straight out of Silent Hill.
The mysterious sea creature was caught in the Arctic water of the northern territory of Nunavut in Canada. Are you ready to see a fish that could give you nightmares?
It’s no secret that we here at RocketNews24 love sushi and especially kaitenzushi, or conveyor belt sushi restaurants. There is nothing like the joy of watching plates and plates of delicious sushi go around like a train while you anxiously wait for your favorite kind to be delivered by conveyor belt.
Although we have been to the supposedly best conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Japan, we are always on the lookout for the next best thing in automatically delivered fish on rice. That is why we were very excited to hear about a restaurant in Matsuyama City that has a standing offer to all local fishermen: the shop will buy your freshly caught without the hassle of going to a fish market!
Are you bored of the same old Japanese food and looking to try something new, exciting and a little strange? From potentially life-threatening to overwhelmingly pungent odors to just plain odd, here’s a list of 20 of the weirdest Japanese delicacies from the sea. If you are feeling a little bit curious and want to expand your Japanese cuisine horizons, click the link to find out more!
People all over the world head to Kentucky Fried Chicken when they want some deliciously seasoned fried chicken fast and easy. Japan is no exception, but when it comes to meals, fish is generally the meat of choice in this country.
So it comes as no surprise… Actually nevermind, it’s still pretty surprising that KFC Japan has begun putting Kentucky Fried Fish on their menu. Curious to see how the land-locked state of Kentucky does fish, our reporter Kuzo put his cholesterol-count on the line and went in to investigate.
Ekiben, or “station bento,” can be found on train station platforms across Japan, conveniently packed for travelers too busy to prepare their own meal. They usually come in plastic or styrofoam containers wrapped with a decorative paper cover. But this ekiben is a little different. Found in Kochi Prefecture, this on-the-go bento is packaged in clear plastic wrap to display the goods inside, and what seems like merely a fish sitting in a white supermarket tray is actually sushi. Let’s take a closer look at this bizarre whole fish sushi ekiben.
I love Japanese convenience store bathrooms. They are almost unfailingly clean and tidy, and the staff don’t mind whether you actually buy something or not. Of course, as with any public restroom, there’s a risk of finding something a little strange, but you definitely wouldn’t expect what one Twitter user recently found swimming in the bowl. (It’s not poop. We promise.)
Most people have probably wondered why fish on different levels of the food chain peacefully coexist together in aquariums. Every day, workers do their best to keep the fish well-fed to prevent any wayward snacking, so even though giant sharks slice through the temperature-controlled waters, none of the smaller fish go missing. However, when the sharks revert back to their normal feeding frenzy habits, it can have dramatic results as seen this past week at Kobe’s Suma Aqualife Park.
If you’ve ever been to Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo (the largest seafood market in the world), then you’ve probably dodged speeding forklifts, gotten lost in a maze of stalls, and seen professionals wielding metre-long knives, filleting expensive tuna according to traditional methods that go back centuries.
Well now you can take the Tsukiji experience home with you (minus those pesky forklifts) thanks to a special bluefin tuna designed and manufactured by Yamawa, a third generation fish wholesaler from the markets.
In the early hours of Monday morning this week, a truck scattered its nine-ton load of fresh fish across the surface of the road after crashing and flipping over on a freeway in China. As word spread of the terrible accident, droves of people quickly arrived on the scene, causing further traffic jams and making the situation yet more perilous as they descended on the cargo, armed with plastic bags or various sizes.
You, Me, And a Tanuki is a weekly featured blog run by Michelle, a Californian who is currently one of only two foreigners living in Chibu, a tiny fishing village on one of the Oki islands in Japan. Check back every Saturday for a new post or read more on her website here!
If I ever have a craving for fish, I just have to stand out in front of my house and wait for a fisherman to drive by (which won’t take too long since I live on an island). Last Monday I was waiting outside with my husband to be picked up for a work party when the taxi driver (who is also a fisherman) drove by. He stopped his little K-truck and asked if we wanted some fish. I said yes and he proceeded to fill a plastic grocery bag with around 20 flying fish, 4 long scary looking fish, 3 or so pokey fish, and a weird purple/blue crab (sorry, he said the names in Japanese so quickly that I didn’t manage to remember them all. Any fish experts, please tell me what they are in the comments section below).
The ayu, or sweetfish, is a summer delicacy in Japan. Usually coated in salt and grilled over a charcoal fire, the fish is known for its refreshingly sweet taste and is consumed widely by Japanese people every year.
While a typical specimen is similar to a small trout in appearance, an ayu with translucent scales was discovered at a fishery in Gifu prefecture late last month.
We think the issue here isn’t why this happened, but how on earth were they able to spot the little guy…
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Japan to begin accepting tourists from the U.S., three other countries this month
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Japan’s most convincing “beware of crows” sign spotted
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Japanese woman receives Kobe beef croquettes after waiting nine years, and she was lucky.
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Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】Japan’s one-person instant ramen pot may be the one and only cooking gadget we need
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American visits Japan, wonders why McDonald’s only sells beef bowls, not burgers
The new Bake Off Japan on Amazon Prime is everything we ever wanted (aka more Bake Off!)【Review】
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One Punch Man manga artist’s amazing “practice” drawing is so good we think he might not be human
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Liev Schreiber’s son deemed “too beautiful” in Japan
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Miss Universe 2021 Japan entry slammed for wearing “dead person’s kimono”
Mario isn’t number one? Nintendo plumber doesn’t win Super Mario series character popularity poll
Spy x Family T-shirts from Uniqlo let you make your love of the anime an open secret【Photos】
Japanese onsen stand is part gas station, part hot spring vending machine
“Smile Lipt” surgery promises to make you smile even if you don’t want to
Weirdest convenience store drink in Japan? New drinkable Happy Turn makes stomachs turn
We put Mr. Donut donuts in a hot sandwich maker to see which one turns out best【Taste Test】
We make pills the old-fashioned way in Japan’s former medicine capital, Toyama Prefecture
Hunter x Hunter manga production resumes after three-year-plus hiatus, artist reveals
Instant bear curry from the northeastern mountains of Japan【Taste test】
Japanese startup to use NFTs to simplify the music copyright system
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