Overview

• On July 19, Do-yō no Ushi prompted long queues at eel restaurants and retail stalls nationwide despite steep kabayaki and unajū prices.
• The Fisheries Agency reported domestic catches of juvenile Japanese eel doubled to 14.8 tons this season, halving hatchling prices but delaying any drop in shop rates until distribution is complete.
• Supermarkets and department stores are expanding eel options for varied budgets, from Aeon Kyushu’s 250 g “super-large” kabayaki to Hakata Hankyu’s single-slice eel inari sushi and Maruha Nichiro’s ¥378 Kagoshima eel sausage.
• The Fisheries Research and Education Agency and Yanmar Holdings unveiled new elongated tank technology in July to boost survival rates in the push toward fully artificial eel aquaculture by 2050.
• The European Union has proposed listing all 19 eel species under CITES, which would require export permits for international trade and could affect Japan’s import-dependent eel market.