History and culture of eel farming

Natural eels have been taken abundantly in Hamana Lake in Hamamatsu since long ago. To see the history of eel farming, it was tried for the first time in 1983, 126 years ago.

  1. 1. Plenty of glass eels, or fry young eels yileded in Hamana Lake
  2. 2. Abundant ground water from Mikatahara Plateau
  3. 3. Plenty of small fish eaten by eels in Hamana Lake

Meeting these three major requirements, eel farming was prospered in Hamana Lake.

Eel farmers purchase natural glass eels from fishermen, raise them larger with high skills in eel farming and sell them to specialized eel restaurants, common restaurants and hotels.

Eels raised in eel farms are cooked by experienced cooks.Trainings for eel cooks are said to require
"3 years for putting eel on skewers, 8 years for slicing it open, and the whole life for grilling."
The skills developed through long practices reach the level of artisans.

Una-don and Kabayaki eels, prepared by eel cooks with great care, give delight to many people including the local folks as well as the tourists visiting Hamamatsu.

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