261600 Sat Jul 20 02:27:28 -0700 2002 2 26 International 0 1382404 Hi all, Today, July 20th, is "unagi day" in Japan. From what I could gather from my Japanese co-workers, unagi day is held on the penultimate Saturday of July, which traditionally marks the end of rainy season, and the beginning of damn-it's-hot-and-humid season. Unagi (grilled fresh-water eel) is consumed on this day, with the belief that it will fill the person eating it with the stamina needed to make it through the rest of the oppressive summer. After a grueling half day at my office in Minami-Shinagawa, I was walking back up to Aomono-yokocho station, and passed Muramoto's unagi shop. This is a little hole-in-the-wall place, seating about 10 people, and all they do is unagi, and unagi bentos. I pass this place just about every evening, and being teased by the smoke from the grilling eel, keep meaning to stop in. It has just never happened, until today. No sit down service on this Saturday, just take-out. So I picked up my bento (3 large pieces of unagi, on a bed of rice, with a side of thickly sliced daikon) and am just now finishing it up, as I write this. This is some darn fine eel! Sweet, firm, and succulent. The slightly sweet soy-mirin sauce that it is dipped in is just right, complimenting the unagi, without overpowering it. The outer skin is charred up nice and crispy, and besides the sauce, the only other thing on it is a light dusting of pepper. Washing it all down with a cold Pocari Sweat, I'm ready to take on the summer. I didn't get an address, but Muramoto's is a nice, easy 8-iron from Aomono-yokocho station. As you leave the station, take a right when you get to the sidewalk, and start sauntering. Walk across the crosswalk at the next signal, and Muramoto's is just past the gas station at that corner. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu, Andy Sat Jul 20 02:27:28 -0700 2002 0 Andy P. 1 1382426 Hi Andy! The day is actually called "doyo no ushi no hi"; it's the summer "day of the ox", and it's allegedly one of the hottest days of summer (although we know better). What day it actually falls on seems to be determined by some sort of ancient zodiac. So it's not that it's officially called "unagi day", but you are supposed to eat unagi on this day for stamina, as you mentioned. Funny thing is, since demand is so high at this time of year, you have a much higher chance of getting lower quality eel passed off as decent stuff. It was on the news recently that some branch of the government is doing random DNA checks on eels to make sure that their actual place of origin and their labelling match! I've had some truly amazing eel at Nodaiwa in Azabudai (near the American Club); it's an old, rather famous restaurant, in a really neat old building that they apparently brought to Tokyo piece by piece from the countryside somewhere. They use only wild eel, not farm-raised, and I'm willing to say there is a difference. Texture is much better, and you can actually eat the skin! (none of that rubbery stuff) Didn't get my eel in yesterday, so I'll have to have some soon. I think it'll stay hot enough for a while... Sun Jul 21 08:59:11 -0700 2002 1382404 0 Rachel M. 2 1382431 A year ago the Japan Times had the following story. Link: http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fg20010729rl.htm Sun Jul 21 15:33:53 -0700 2002 1382426 0 Hiko Ikeda