When it comes to fish, Japanese consumers are a bit more discerning than Americans.
Supermarkets sell fish hot dogs.
Chewy invertebrate organisms such as sea cucumbers are washed down with beer at business lunches. Dried eel vertebrae are Japan's answer to pork rinds. Sea bream are bestowed on victorious sumo wrestlers. Seafood and the rituals of preparing and presenting it are deeply rooted in Japanese culture. An island nation in a region where fish has been the protein staple throughout history, Japan has imbued fish with historical, symbolic, even spiritual meaning.