Japan Begins Trial Sales of World's First Fully Farmed Eel

Yamada Suisan began trial sales of the world's first fully farmed eel on May 29 ^[4].

This development addresses a critical shortage in the domestic eel supply, which has fallen to less than half of its peak levels ^[2]. By eliminating reliance on wild-caught glass eels, the company aims to ensure the long-term survival of a cornerstone of Japanese food culture.

The company is selling the grilled eel at a sales booth in Tokyo's Tsukiji district, through its own direct stores, and via Aeon's online platform. However, the technology comes with a significant price premium. Each eel is priced at approximately 4,500 yen ^[1], which is about 2.5 times the cost of conventional farmed eels ^[1].

Full-scale aquaculture for eels — where the fish are bred from eggs in a controlled environment rather than capturing wild juveniles — has been a long-term goal for the industry. While the technology for complete aquaculture was first successfully developed in 2010 ^[3], bringing the product to a commercial market has required overcoming significant cost and scale hurdles.

Naotake Kato, general manager at Yamada Suisan, said the company is working to move beyond dependence on natural resources. He said that by providing eel raised through artificial hatching and complete aquaculture, the company can help maintain Japanese food culture.

Initial tasting reports indicate the quality remains high. A report from FNN said the meat is fluffy and fragrant, and that it is comparable to wild-caught eel.

To make the product more accessible, the company is focusing on increasing facilities and implementing mechanization to reduce the high production costs associated with the breeding process.