‘My Japanese hovercraft is full of eels’
“Mai hobaakurafuto izu furu obu iiruzu” My hovercraft is full of eels (私のホバークラフトは鰻が一杯です)
Today is “Ushi no Hi” 23rd of July (２３日はうなぎの日).
Japanese people eat eels (unagi) on this day to fight summer heat lethargy called natsubate （夏バテ). Basically it’s Japanese grilled eel day. The weird-ass problem is that “Ushi no Hi” means “Ox Day” not Eel Day. Go figure.
All in all, grilled eel served in Japan tastes great. And when eel gets served to me it a hint the girl wants to have an intimate night—something to do with the phallic shape of the eel and its effect on increasing men’s sexual drive. On the other hand, I have no idea when a girl serves me Eel Ice Cream (Unagi Aisu) as featured in the MSN-Mainichi Daily News.
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July 23rd, 2006 at 1:25 am
Ha, ha, eel ice cream. That’s enough to drive a fellow to drink! So….here’s hangover cure, Pepto-Bismol ice cream (with the recipe).
July 31st, 2006 at 8:47 am
Giant dead eel tossing contest canceled
AP Wire | 07/30/2006 | Giant dead eel tossing contest canceled
LONDON – For more than 30 years, crowds have flocked to the small English fishing village of Lyme Regis to watch an annual tradition – two teams of fishermen standing on wooden platforms as human bowling pins, hurling a dead giant eel at each other. But the ritual was abruptly abandoned after an animal rights activist threatened to draw negative publicity to the latest tournament, organizers said Saturday.
The practice, known as conger cuddling, is the annual highlight in the small coastal town about 155 miles southwest of London. The object of the game is to knock the opposing team off the platform by swinging a 25-pound eel at them.
Crowds have flocked to Lyme Regis since 1974 to watch rival teams of nine men swing the giant conger eel – suspended in the harbor by a rope – and local residents said they are dismayed at the demise of their historic event.
Andrew Kaye, a resident and spokesman for the Lyme Regis lifeboat crews who raise money through the tournament, said an anonymous e-mailer had called the practice disrespectful to the dead eel.
The lone activist threatened to film the contest to attract adverse media attention, Kaye said.
“We decided that it really wasn’t worth upsetting anybody by going ahead with using a dead conger,” Kaye said. “But it’s a dead conger, for Pete’s sake. I shouldn’t think the conger could care one way or another.”
March 30th, 2011 at 11:35 am
August 11th, 2012 at 10:56 pm
Japanese eel porn threatened!
Japan and the world’s troubled eels – Slip-sliding away
–A summer mainstay comes under threat–
The Economist | Aug 11th 2012
TOKYO –The heat-induced fatigue that strikes millions during Japan’s high summer is known as natsu-bate. A popular antidote is grilled eel, drenched in a sweet sauce and often served on a bed of rice. Rich in vitamins, protein and calcium, the restorative powers of the oily treat are eulogised in popular television shows. Yet unfortunately for Japan, the main ingredient is running out.
Overfishing has wrought havoc with global stocks of eels, prompting America to recommend that several species of eel be put on an international endangered list...more…