Japanese eel wholesale prices have fallen significantly as retailers prepare for Doyo-no-Ushi Day on July 26 [4].
This price drop provides relief to consumers during one of Japan's most critical seasonal food events. The availability of more affordable domestic eel marks a shift in a market often strained by scarcity and high costs.
Retailers are seeing a marked decrease in costs due to a larger catch of juvenile eels and lower procurement expenses. Wholesale prices this year are approximately 1,600 yen lower than they were in June of last year [3]. This has allowed some vendors to offer eel bowls for as low as 900 yen [5].
In Tokyo, the Kakujou Gyoryu Kodaira store is reporting strong performance. "Sales are rising rapidly, which we are very grateful for," Sono said.
Consumers have noticed the shift in pricing. One shopper in their 50s said the prices seemed cheap for domestic eel.
At the store, the largest size of eel is priced at 2,300 yen per piece [1], while the next size down is 1,700 yen [2]. However, not all business owners feel the impact equally. Maiko Ishibashi, the proprietress of the traditional shop Uemachi Kikuya in Narita, said that while procurement costs have decreased, the change has been minimal.
Alongside the price shifts, new production methods are entering the market. Eels raised in the hot-spring waters of Gero, Gifu Prefecture, have begun their first shipments. These "Gero eels" utilize the region's famous mineral-rich waters to support growth, providing a new domestic alternative for specialty shops and supermarkets across the country.
“"Sales are rising rapidly, which we are very grateful for,"”
The convergence of higher juvenile eel yields and innovative aquaculture, such as the hot-spring farming in Gero, is reducing the volatility of domestic eel prices. By lowering the barrier to entry for consumers during the peak Doyo-no-Ushi demand, these trends may stabilize the domestic market and reduce reliance on expensive or unregulated imports.
