To conserve eel
The tradition of "Doyo-no Ushinohi"
Outline
"Doyo-no Ushinohi" is commonly known as a day to eat eel in Japan. Here are some details about "Doyo-no Ushinohi".
"Doyo-no Ushinohi" has long been a custom of Japanese people. In 2017, Doyo-no Ushinohi falling on July 25th and August 6th.
In Japanese "Doyo" refers the 18-19 day period preceding the change of seasons. "Ushi" is the ox zodiac sign in Chinese astrology. The system is that within the 18 days of "Doyo", the days which fall within "Ushi" when they are sorted into groups of twelve becomes the "Doyo-no Ushinohi".
There are many stories explaining why Japanese eat eels on Doyo-no Ushinohi. The most reliable story is that Gennai Hiraga, the scientist who first made artificial electricity, spread this idea. Since summer is not the season for eels, eels restaurant often falls on hard times. But after the suggestion of Hiraga of eating eels on Doyo-no Ushinohi, Japanese started to eat eels even in summer.
The "Doyo" season in summer is extremely hot by eating eels people can get energy. If you take a look in to Man'youshu ―the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, you will find poems that recommend people to eat eel when they suffer from malnutrition in the heat of summer.
石麻呂に 吾物申す 夏痩せに 良しといふ物ぞ 鰻漁り食せ Author：Ohtomo Yakamoti
(Translation)
Dear Mr.Ishimaro, I hear that eel is good for fatigue, please eat it and recover soon.
As you can tell, eels were part of our lives from a long time. Even today, we eat nutrient-packed eels to fight back the summer fatigue. Eel contains rich nutrients such as Vitamins B1 and B2, DHA and EPA all of which boost your immune system. In particular, vitamin B1 helps to circulate sugars, producing energy used in muscles and nerves.
Based on:our survey
The results of our survey (the detail is Others References) shows that only 42% of the people ate Unagi on "Doyo-no Ushinohi", while the majority, 58% didn't do so.
The main reason stops people from eating eels is listed as "too expensive".
Although it is a traditional custom in Japan, the rise in prices makes it difficult for people to keep the tradition.
What's the details of increasing of eel price which cause Japanese to stop eating eels in "Doyo-no Ushinohi"?
