Chinese-produced eel is selling at lower prices in Japan due to an oversupply caused by excessive harvesting of juvenile eels in China [1, 2].
This price shift occurs as Japan relies heavily on imports for its eel consumption, making the domestic market highly sensitive to production volumes in Guangdong province. The trend arrives just before the 2026 Doyo no ushi day on July 26 [3, 4, 5].
Retailers in Tokyo are already passing these savings to consumers. One restaurant is offering an eel lunch bowl for ¥1,700 [1]. Megumi Kohda, representative of Amon Co., said the impression is that prices have dropped significantly [1].
Wholesale purchase costs have fallen between 20% [1] and 30% [2] compared to previous peaks. This decline is rooted in a supply glut in China, where an unexpected surge in juvenile eel catches has flooded the market [1, 2, 6].
China's eel industry operates on a massive scale, producing approximately 310,000 tons per year [1]. This output is about 17 times the production level of Japan [1]. Consequently, imported eel accounts for approximately 70% of the total supply in Japan [1].
While lower prices benefit consumers during the traditional summer holiday, the surplus is tied to the aggressive harvesting of young fish. This creates a volatile pricing environment based on the unpredictable volume of juvenile catches in Chinese waters [1, 6].
“The impression is that prices have dropped significantly”
The price drop highlights Japan's extreme dependency on Chinese aquaculture to sustain its cultural traditions. Because Japan imports 70% of its eel, any ecological or industrial shift in Guangdong province, such as the current over-harvesting of juveniles, directly dictates the cost of a staple meal in Tokyo. While short-term affordability increases, the reliance on an oversupplied foreign market underscores the fragility of the domestic supply chain.
