Japan for the Uninvited

Japanese culture from a bemused foreign perspective

Ikizukuri (Live sashimi)

IkizukuriWhen it comes to sashimi (raw fish), freshness is key, and no sashimi is fresher than ikezukuri, which is cut from a live fish and served quivering.

Often, the fish is quickly “reassembled” after it has been carved alive, and served as a gruesome parody of its former self. Vital organs are often left intact, so the fish may still be alive by the time the diner has finished eating it.

When restaurants in the West started serving it, ikezukuri experienced an inevitable backlash from animal rights groups. After a Japanese chef demonstrated the technique on a Los Angeles television station, he received hundreds of angry calls, including death threats.

Noone’s tried it with pigs or cows yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Hold still Daisy…

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14 Comments, Comment or Ping

  1. Terr

    I’ve heard through the grapevine that there is a restaurant in Shaanxi Province, within the limits of Xi’an (China) that serves beef sliced from a live cow. Apparently 4 years is long enough for humanity to become noticeably more uncivilized.

    And you know what they say about China. Where there’s one, there are hundreds more.

    Besides, they haven’t even mastered human rights, let alone animal ones.

  2. Moriah

    Ugh. This is so sick. If those freaks get food poisoning because of eating this, it’s no more than they deserve.

    I can’t believe this kind of barbarity is still legal. Meat is cruel (which is why I’m vegan), but this seriously pushes it to new depths of sickness. There truly is no limit to the horror human minds can invent.

  3. IGRAINE

    What sort of moron considered this a good idea? I don’t think I ever felt more disgusted by anything. I don’t know who is worse, the “chefs” willing to inflict this kind of torture, or the twisted perverts who think it is acceptable to pay money for this and than actually eat something alive.

    One can only hope that what goes around, comes around.

  4. Guess I'll take the other side.

    Guys it’s a long, long tradition. And when you’re raised in that kind of environment, it’s normal. When I go back to asia and tell people about orgies, sex parties, open relationships, etc. they generally have the same reactions you guys have now.

    “And you know what they say about China. Where there’s one, there are hundreds more.”

    Honestly, I can’t believe you just said that. Go ahead and follow the crowd.

  5. EB

    Grow up people

  6. Syd

    I agree that this is unnecessarily cruel and all, but there is no way that you’ll get food poisoning from fish this fresh-it’s impossible.

  7. Aji

    eewh………………..
    that’s just plain disgusting.
    there’s no way I would eat that thing

  8. Guy

    Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.

  9. kay

    Orgies, sex parties, open relationships involve the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, stress, depression, loss of self esteem, loss of trust and security in future relationships.

    “one man’s treasure is another man’s trash”

  10. John Donkey

    Who cares, they’re fish.

  11. Anonymous

    it doesn’t matter if it’s considered acceptable in that culture, it’s barbaric and inhumane. some cultures consider slavery to be acceptable still, that doesn’t make it okay.

  12. SushiFan

    I would definitely try that. I love sashimi. Also, fish are on par with rocks for intelligence… so I don’t really feel bad. Cows and such are a bit brighter, so I can understand revulsion at cruelty toward them.

    But fish? Are you serious?

    BTW I don’t eat vegetables or fungi, they’re living creatures. One time I saw a man violently on TV tear a mushroom out of the ground right in front of its spawn. It was awful, rhizomes and spores were everywhere. Then he deCAPitated it (come on), fried it in a burning hot pan, and ate it. If I ever find that guy’s name I’m going to kill him for being a sick, twisted pervert.

    Go away, bleeding hearts. Also shopped.

  13. mike

    “Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.”

    Thank you.

    “Orgies, sex parties, open relationships involve the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, stress, depression, loss of self esteem, loss of trust and security in future relationships.”

    Yes, but they don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive. Wake up.

  14. Marupinku

    “Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.”

    You haven’t been going to the right orgies then, babe. ;333

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