Japan retailers cut eel prices and widen choices for the Day of the Ox
Japanese retailers are lowering prices and expanding eel selections for the Day of the Ox, as a Tokyo department store begins selling fully farmed eels.
- Major Japanese supermarkets like AEON and Ito-Yokado are cutting eel prices by up to 500 yen, attributed to a strong catch of young eels last year.
- Retailers are widening choices by offering new size options, such as a larger 300-gram eel available at AEON.
- A Tokyo department store is offering a new premium option: a limited quantity of eel produced through complete-cycle farming, which appeals to sustainability-conscious consumers.
Japanese retailers are stepping up their eel promotions before Sunday’s Day of the Ox, when people traditionally eat grilled eel in the belief that the nutritious dish will help them cope with the summer heat.
Lower prices are central to this year’s campaigns at two major supermarket operators following a strong catch of young eels last year.
AEON Retail Co., Ltd. is selling a large, 156-gram kabayaki eel for 2,180 yen, 500 yen less than a year earlier. From Friday, customers will also be able to choose a larger version weighing 300 grams.
“The price reduction offers a good opportunity for more people to enjoy eel,” an AEON representative said.
Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd. will start selling unaju, a rice dish topped with grilled eel, for 1,980 yen on Saturday. The price is 400 yen lower than last year.
“Although the cost of everything apart from the eel has risen, we were able to cut the price by 400 yen by restricting the reduction to selected products,” an Ito-Yokado representative said.
A different approach is being taken at Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store in Tokyo, operated by Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. On Wednesday, the department store began selling eels produced through complete-cycle farming, in which the fish are raised entirely by people from eggs to maturity without using naturally caught eggs or young eels.
Only 73 of the kabayaki products were made available. Each 165-gram eel was priced at 5,500 yen.
A man in his 50s, who had been waiting in line since 7am, said he wanted to try a fully farmed eel because the production method could help conserve fishery resources.
“I hope such eels will become routinely available,” he said.
The eels were supplied by Yamada Suisan Co., Ltd., based in Saiki, Oita Prefecture. The company conducted what it described as the world’s first trial sale of complete-cycle farmed eels in May.
Yamada Suisan director Naotake Kato said many customers had described the eels as delicious during the earlier trial.
“We hope to find out whether the products will appeal to department store customers,” he said.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
