Japan Now! What Is Doyo no Ushi? The Day All of Japan Eats Eel(7/15)

Why This Is Sparking Debate in Japan

Should a country be eating this much of an endangered fish in a single week? That is the uncomfortable question shadowing the celebration. The Japanese eel has been on the IUCN Red List as endangered since 2014, wild catch has declined sharply over the decades, and prices have climbed to the point that unagi is now a once-or-twice-a-year luxury for many households. Some retailers have scaled back Doyo no Ushi promotions or shifted to alternatives, from farmed eel raised on improved methods to lookalike products made from catfish or even plant-based “eel.” Traditionalists argue the custom is exactly when eel should be honored; conservationists counter that a tradition invented as an ad campaign can surely evolve one more time.

Fun Fact

Fun Fact: Did you know? Eel’s actual peak season is autumn to winter, when the fish fattens up before the cold. Summer was historically eel’s worst season for both flavor and sales, which is exactly why that Edo restaurant needed Gennai’s help. In other words, Japan’s biggest eel-eating day celebrates eel at the precise time of year it is least in season. Gennai did not just sell eel; he sold off-season eel to an entire nation for 250 years and counting.

So on July 26, do as Japan does: find some unagi, say “itadakimasu,” and thank history’s greatest copywriter.
Eating unagi in LA? Kimukatsu in Torrance is running a special unagi don set through the end of July, with salad, house-made tonjiru, and pickles included.

FAQ

Q: What is Doyo no Ushi no Hi?
A: It is the traditional Japanese day for eating unagi (grilled eel) to build stamina against summer heat. “Doyo” is the roughly 18-day period before the start of autumn on the old calendar, and “Ushi” is the Ox Day within it, counted by the zodiac cycle.

Q: When is Doyo no Ushi in 2026?
A: Sunday, July 26, 2026. The date changes every year, and some years have two Ox Days during summer doyo (the second is called ni no ushi), but 2026 has only one.

Q: Why do Japanese people eat eel on this day?
A: Eel is rich in vitamins A and B and has been considered a remedy for summer fatigue since at least the 8th century. The specific custom of eating it on Doyo no Ushi is credited to Edo-period scholar Hiraga Gennai’s advertising idea for a struggling eel restaurant.

Q: Can I try this tradition in Los Angeles?
A: Absolutely. Order unagi don or unaju at a Japanese restaurant on July 26, or pick up kabayaki eel at a Japanese supermarket and make your own. Udon or umeboshi work too if eel is not your thing; any food starting with “u” honors the tradition.

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