fugu
![Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]](https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/fb-4.jpg?w=640 "Blowfish-shaped fugu bento appears to celebrate Japan’s Blowfish Day [Taste test]")
Fugu, one of Japan’s most gourmet foods, is the ramen star of the classy Ginza neighborhood.
Get a glimpse of how one of Japan’s delicacies, the poisonous fugu fish, is traded at auction!
UFO catchers occupy a major portion of Japanese arcades nowadays. If you happen to walk by an arcade, the flashing lights and fun prizes all beckon customers to try their luck at these “skill” testing games. Normally, the prizes are figures and stuffed animals from popular TV shows and manga, but you will often see snacks and food. Most recently, a UFO catcher at the Amuseum Oizumi caught our eye because of its prize, a real live pufferfish!
When you’re hovering on the verge of leaving this world, the last thing you want to feel is lingering regret about those unique foods you never had the chance to try and all those unimaginable flavours and textures you missed out on, or never knew existed. To avoid such a terrible fate, a list of 20 strange bucket-list foods has recently been compiled by a British news site and has been widely commented on in Japan, as it features two home-grown favourites: fugu and shiokara. Fugu is the poisonous pufferfish of Simpsons fame, while shiokara is a relatively harmless dish composed of shreds of meat from a sea creature (commonly squid) in a slimy paste of its heavily salted, fermented raw guts. I mean, viscera.
So my taste buds won’t spend an eternity regretting the tragic circumstances that left their fugu and shiokara cherry unpopped, I aim to get to the bottom of these Japanese dishes! Er, okay, maybe not right to the bottom. I’ll have a few cautious bites and see how it goes.
You may think it’s crazy to voluntarily eat poisonous fish, but in the case of pufferfish, or “fugu” in Japanese, it’s something the Japanese have been doing for a long time. We understand how the idea of eating a potentially deadly poisonous fish could be off-putting to some, but most Japanese people wouldn’t think twice about going to a restaurant and having pufferfish; in fact most of us would welcome it as a treat, as a full-course fugu meal usually doesn’t come cheap. Well, this time, we have a story from one of the reporters at the Pouch website about an unusual way to have pufferfish, and this is definitely a recipe you won’t be able to recreate at home! Read More
MOST POPULAR
Today
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Starbucks Japan adds new Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Latte to the menu, but do they deliver the taste of autumn?
American tourist in Japan arrested on charges of attempted murder and arson
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Solo travel in Japan: $3 all-you-can-drink deal at this conveyor belt restaurant is a fun time for one
Japanese Starbucks that’s also an art gallery hosts exhibition by painters from Tokyo’s top art school
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Weekly
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans- A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo- Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
- Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Monthly
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad- Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo- Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Solo travel in Japan: $3 all-you-can-drink deal at this conveyor belt restaurant is a fun time for one
Japanese Starbucks that’s also an art gallery hosts exhibition by painters from Tokyo’s top art school
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
German woman rescued from Mt. Fuji after suffering altitude sickness symptoms, hiking to peak anyway
The mystery of Port Store, the Japanese convenience store that looks like a Lawson rip-off
Mini CRT-lookalike Final Fantasy figurines are awesome pixel art music boxes [Video]
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Japan Railways announces unlimited-ride train pass for fall travel
New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]
Flock to Tomarigi, the viral app that lets you perch in over 1,000 spots throughout Japan
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Elderly couple donates 400 million yen to erect Myaku-Myaku statue in Osaka
-
