Tod
ay is "unagi うなぎ (fresh water eel) day" or in Japanese it's called "doyou-no ushi-no hi 土用の丑の日" or midsummer day of the Ox. On this day, you may see many advertisements of eel products at supermarkets and convenience stores. Japanese restaurants may also add eel as one of their lunch menus to choose from.
ay is "unagi うなぎ (fresh water eel) day" or in Japanese it's called "doyou-no ushi-no hi 土用の丑の日" or midsummer day of the Ox. On this day, you may see many advertisements of eel products at supermarkets and convenience stores. Japanese restaurants may also add eel as one of their lunch menus to choose from. Thi
s tradition had its origins in the Edo period 200 years ago. Before 1873, instead of the Gregorian calendar, the Japanese calendar was used and is based on the lunisolar calendar adapted from the Chinese. Each season has its doyou which last 18 days. During this 18 days, each day is represented by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Hence, within the 18 days, for certain years, there could be more than 1 day of the 
Ox. The midsummer or summer doyou is especially important to the Japanese where they would send presents and greeting cards to friends and relatives. Yet, an eel restaurant owner then, had poor business and consulted a Japanese scholar, Hiraga Gennai who was also a pharmacologist and a multi-talented genius who invented m
any items. Gennai suggested the restaurant owner to put up an advertisement "doyou-no ushi-no hi" as the people would think of eating dishes that had the letter "u" on this Ox day (ushi-no hi). It is funny that other food for instance, udon could face the same fate, but somehow unagi caught on with popularity since then. It was interesting that eel restaurant owners had a superstition carried through from the Edo period as well, that broiling eels on other days such as on a Rat or Tiger day, would not taste as good as broiling them on an Ox day.
s tradition had its origins in the Edo period 200 years ago. Before 1873, instead of the Gregorian calendar, the Japanese calendar was used and is based on the lunisolar calendar adapted from the Chinese. Each season has its doyou which last 18 days. During this 18 days, each day is represented by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Hence, within the 18 days, for certain years, there could be more than 1 day of the 
Ox. The midsummer or summer doyou is especially important to the Japanese where they would send presents and greeting cards to friends and relatives. Yet, an eel restaurant owner then, had poor business and consulted a Japanese scholar, Hiraga Gennai who was also a pharmacologist and a multi-talented genius who invented m
any items. Gennai suggested the restaurant owner to put up an advertisement "doyou-no ushi-no hi" as the people would think of eating dishes that had the letter "u" on this Ox day (ushi-no hi). It is funny that other food for instance, udon could face the same fate, but somehow unagi caught on with popularity since then. It was interesting that eel restaurant owners had a superstition carried through from the Edo period as well, that broiling eels on other days such as on a Rat or Tiger day, would not taste as good as broiling them on an Ox day.It 
does make sense to eat eel during the hot summer season as unagi contains many nutrients such as vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E, which are effective agents for rejuvenating the body. It also contains high quantities of unsaturated fatty acids such as DHA and EPA which decreases cholestrol, lowers blood pressure, prevents vascular diseases and promotes normal brain
development, nervous system functions and good eyesight. Gotta not miss the next unagi day. The summer doyou usually happens between middle of July to first week of August and differs each year due to the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun.
does make sense to eat eel during the hot summer season as unagi contains many nutrients such as vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E, which are effective agents for rejuvenating the body. It also contains high quantities of unsaturated fatty acids such as DHA and EPA which decreases cholestrol, lowers blood pressure, prevents vascular diseases and promotes normal brain
development, nervous system functions and good eyesight. Gotta not miss the next unagi day. The summer doyou usually happens between middle of July to first week of August and differs each year due to the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun. From now till 2011, unagi day falls on:
2009: 19 July, 31 July.
2010: 26 July.
2011: 21 July, 2 August.
(Photos show Tomomi cooking unagi at home for dinner, plus we also ate unagi on the same day at a Japanese restaurant near to Tokyo Baptist Church during lunch w
ith our Malaysian church mates, Alex and Angela. Other food photos feature an Italian buffet with chocolate fondue at Odaiba Decks Sunset Beach Brewing Company during their summer promotion of 1300 yen and a Niigata type wappameshi dish at a restaurant called Echigo along Kagurazaka dori. The photo on the left shows a Japanese bento set with well decorated shrimps, duck meat, fish meat, sushi and konnyaku at a hidden restaurant called WaRaku with beautiful garden view from the dining table at Tsukudo-hachimancho, close to Kagurazaka-dori).
ith our Malaysian church mates, Alex and Angela. Other food photos feature an Italian buffet with chocolate fondue at Odaiba Decks Sunset Beach Brewing Company during their summer promotion of 1300 yen and a Niigata type wappameshi dish at a restaurant called Echigo along Kagurazaka dori. The photo on the left shows a Japanese bento set with well decorated shrimps, duck meat, fish meat, sushi and konnyaku at a hidden restaurant called WaRaku with beautiful garden view from the dining table at Tsukudo-hachimancho, close to Kagurazaka-dori).
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