Big in Japan: Japanese farmers raise poison-free blowfish
To steal a line from a classic Simpsons episode:'Poison. Poison. Poison. Tasty Fish.'
Blowfish or fugu (ふぐ) packs a lethal punch in the form of tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin that paralyzes its victims while they are still conscious. To put things into perspective, this means that you are fully aware as your throat closes, your lungs deflate and you drift slowly into death's arms.
There is no known cure.
However, Japan is a country of safety and order, so thankfully the majority of deaths occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves in the process. The most dangerous culprit is the liver, which has been illegal for centuries despite being the tastiest morsel of the blowfish - it is often compared to the highest-quality foie gras (fatty goose liver).
While illegal meals of liver can still be had on the black market, the danger cannot be understated. In 1975, the famous Kabuki actor and 'Living National Treasure' Bandou Mitsugorou VIII requested four servings of liver from a fugu chef in Kyoto. Unable to refuse the request of someone of such an elevated stature, the chef served him the livers. He died soon after.
Of course, all of this is set to change now that Japanese fish-farmers have found away to raise non-poisonous blowfish....
The Japanese are anything but prudish, especially when it comes to pornography or
This week,
This week,
This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region.
This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region.
One of the main questions that ex-pats in Japan are often asked is simply this:
The cherry blossoms (
Today is April 22, which means that if you have any sort of eco-conscious, you have already picked up on the Earth Day theme here at Gadling.













