Wonkenstein

Fish! A Japanese Obsession

I watched this on the iplayer over the weekend. Charles Rangeley-Wilson travelled around Japan exploring the culture and their relationship with fish. He auditioned for a travel companion, and picked this guy called Aki, who had an odd haircut, like a reverse mohican.

Was fascinating, highlights included:

• A fish restaurant where you fish for your meal. They then slice it up for sashimi and serve it to you straight away. So fresh the fish is still moving!
• Tsukiji Fish market - Blue Fin Tuna are HUGE! and expensive - up to £80/Kg! ~ £15,000/fish
• Fishing ponds in the middle of Tokyo set up like an arcade - fish for points, free hour of fishing if you get more than 7 points (kilo) in an hour. It even has it’s own train stop.
• The Ama of Ise - women free divers with an average age mid 50s, (some > 70 years old!) harvesting shellfish.
• Captive breeding project of Blue fin Tuna
• Mass production of fugu - can kill you if not prepared right.
• Bunch of men (average age of mid 50s) that go diving n fishing off the irabu-jima island
• Funazushi or fermented sushi. Fish left to ferment in rice, looked disgusting. Was funny Aki attempt to eat it, watching his face contorting and spitting it out.
• The most surreal part was part of the funazushi section. Some dude whose business was selling the stuff, got Aki and Charles to dress in a Panda and Tiger suit. The Panda (Charles) was taken up into the air in a tandem powered paraglider with the Tiger waving to him. Odd.