Yokozuna Slickhead. Here is a truly spectacular fish found in Japan that has just recently been identified. It might be the largest deep-sea fish ever found. Researchers posted their findings of these spooky-looking fish in the Frontiers in Marine Science journal.
Hucho perryi), also known as the Japanese huchen or stringfish (Japanese: 糸魚/イトヨ, romanized: itoyo), is a large species of salmonid freshwater fish in Northeast Asia, found in the lakes and large rivers of Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Sakhalin and Kuril Islands of Far Eastern Russia, as well as Hokkaido of Japan.
* Description: A huge fish, a member of the salmon family, the Japanese huchen grows up to 1 meter long. Also known as the Sakhalin taimen, it is Japan's largest freshwater fish.
In Japan, the koi is a symbol of luck, prosperity, and good fortune, and also of perseverance in the face of adversity. Ornamental koi are symbolic of Japanese culture and are closely associated with the country's national identity.
The most popular fish to catch here is the Japanese Sea Bass, also known as suzuki or sea perch. It's more than just your bog-standard Bass, too. In fact, it's often described as the Japanese equal of the Snook, thanks to the fight it puts up!
The species are usually bass, bluegill, carp and trout. There are two species of trout that are native to Japan - the Yamame trout and Iwana trout (also known as Japanese char). They can be found in the streams and rivers of Japan's mountains.
Ebisu, in Japanese mythology, one of the Shichi-fuku-jin (“Seven Gods of Luck”), the patron of fishermen and tradesmen. He is depicted as a fat, bearded, smiling fisherman often carrying a rod in one hand and a tai (sea bream—i.e., a red snapper—symbolic of good luck) in the other.
And so, the Samurai, and indeed all of Japan at the time, became what we today would call pescatarians. They ate clams, trout, carp and tuna, among the sea's vegetarian offerings like seaweed.
The elusive oarfish live between 200 and 1,000 metres deep and are characterised by silvery skin and red fins. Traditionally known as "Ryugu no tsukai" in Japanese, or the "Messenger from the Sea God's Palace", legend has it that they beach themselves on shores ahead of underwater earthquakes.
People in Japan have eaten eel for thousands of years. Unagi, or freshwater Japanese eel, can cost almost as much as the price of gold.
A Japanese sushi tycoon has paid a whopping $3.1m (£2.5m) for a giant tuna making it the world's most expensive. Kiyoshi Kimura bought the 278kg (612lbs) bluefin tuna, which is an endangered species, at first new year's auction in Tokyo's new fish market.
1. Japanese Koi
The Japanese Koi! You may be familiar with these colorful fish often displayed in elaborate garden ponds. Koi is a version of the common carp that was purposefully bred years ago to develop a wide range of colorations, including orange, yellow, and red.
Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji shijō) is a major tourist attraction for both domestic and overseas visitors in Tokyo. The area contains retail markets, restaurants, and associated restaurant supply stores.
The fugu (河豚; 鰒; フグ) in Japanese, bogeo (복어; -魚) or bok (복) in Korean, and hétún (河豚; 河魨) in Standard Modern Chinese is a pufferfish, normally of the genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or a porcupinefish of the genus Diodon, or a dish prepared from these fish.
Traditionally a Winter Delicacy
In the past, people typically ate yellowtail fish during winter. This is because they have a higher fat content during these months. In Japanese, the fish are referred to as hamachi or buri , depending on their weight. They are generally caught in the regions of Horukku and Toyama.
Fugu (or blowfish) is by far the country's most dangerous dish, and it's the one that Shimonoseki is most known for. If improperly prepared, fugu can be toxic to those who consume it, so only registered chefs with special licenses can create meals with this finicky fish.
Fugu, or puffer fish, are luxury fish that are used as ingredients in food eaten all year round in Japan. These fish are actually poisonous, and they can only be served at restaurants in Japan where a qualified fugu handler works.
Shirouo are very small transparent fish destined to be eaten alive. They dance in your mouth - or rather do the odorigui (dancing while being eaten) as the locals in the few places where you can enjoy the fish put it.
Tengu: The Japanese Demon That's Basically a Mini-God Full of Pride, Full of Power. In Japanese folklore, many stories include spirits, supernatural creatures, and demons called yokai. And of all the yokai, the tengu is the one that might seem most familiar to a modern Westerner.
"Shinto gods" are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility.
Amaterasu is the highest deity in Japanese mythology. In the most famous legend about her, she shuts herself away in a cave, bringing disasters to both the world and heaven.
Scientists exploring a marine trench near Japan were astonished to find a fish in one of the deepest parts of the ocean, at 8,336 meters (about five miles) below the surface. The tadpole-shaped, translucent creature is a type of snailfish, and it's probably the deepest fish anyone will ever find.
The largest share of respondents, almost 43 percent, consumed marine products like fish and shellfish two to three times per week, while around five percent would eat them daily.
From this historical background, Japanese people naturally developed a culture of getting food from the sea. especially fish, as it is good for preserving food. In particular, since fish is a good preservative food, fish dishes were popular because they could be eaten for a long period of time.