Eel Eating Day in Summer
Doyo No Ushi No Hi (or the Day of the Ox) is dedicated to eating eel. The Day occurs around the hottest period of the year. With the day being hot, lethargy sets in; which in Japanese is called Natsubate or summer fatigue. To counter this listless state, Japanese believe that eating nutritious eel helps to increase stamina and beat the summer heat.
Of course, my main reason for posting this is because I'm impressed that Japanese has a word for "summer fatigue" -- natsubate. For me that is a very useful word.
July 15 2009, 11:28:07 UTC 11 years ago