Thank you for your continued patronage of " Sumiyaki Unafuji " and " Unau Okafuji ." On Thursday, December 4th, we will be holding an "Aoi Eel" event in collaboration with Aichi Prefecture at the Sumiyaki Unafuji main store (Showa Ward, Nagoya City).
Only at the Charcoal Grill Unafuji Main Store, we will be holding "All Day Aoi Eel Day" where we will be offering main dishes such as Unagi Donburi and Hitsumabushi made with Aoi eel from Aichi Prefecture at the same price as regular products.
Previously, Unafuji has sold 2-piece size (approximately 500g each) "Aoi Eel" as a limited edition item. Thanks to our long-standing relationship, this time, with the cooperation of the people of Aichi Prefecture, using 3-piece size "Aoi Eel" as the main product and serving it as an Unafuji dish. Unafuji the day of the event, researchers will be asking everyone to fill out a questionnaire. We would appreciate your cooperation in answering the questionnaire, as it will contribute to the future development of the eel industry.
■Event Overview
Date and time: Thursday, December 4th, 2025, 11am - 2:30pm (last orders 2pm) / 5pm - 8:30pm (last orders 8pm)
Location: Sumiyaki Unafuji Main Store (1F Pleasant Shirokane, 1-1-4 Shirokane, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture)
Contents: Sale of Aoi eel dishes (limited to 150 servings)
Reservations: https://booking.resty.jp/webrsv/plan_search/s014035601/30647
*This event will only be held at the Sumiyaki Unafuji
*For inquiries regarding this event, please contact the Fisheries Division of the Aichi Prefectural Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau. Our company, Sumiyaki Unafuji Main Store, will only be able to confirm reservations, etc.
■Regarding same-day seating:
Reservations are currently at capacity, but we do have seats available on the day. Please speak to a staff member at the store and we will assist you if you queue up.
■Aoi eel giveaway campaign
Aichi Prefecture's official X account, " Iitomo Aichi Movement (@iitomoaichiundo) ," the Charcoal Grill Unafuji Online store . If you participate in the event on Thursday, December 4th, you will have a chance to increase your chances of winning the giveaway campaign. For more details, please check the details at the venue on the day. Please follow the official X account of "Charcoal Grill Unafuji
Sumiyaki Unafuji Main Store
On the day, the patented technology used in the production of Aoi eels will be on display in front of the Sumiyaki Unafuji main store, using panels and other means. Please come and see the patented technology, which was jointly developed by the prefecture and producers for the sustainable use of eel resources, as well as the ingenuity and efforts behind it.
■ Information about this event (Aichi Prefecture)
https://www.pref.aichi.jp/press-release/aoiunagi-2025-pr.html
■What is Aoi eel?
Among the eels produced in Aichi Prefecture, "Aoi Unagi" refers to large eels weighing over 330g, produced using patented technology. Aichi Prefecture selected the brand name and mark through a public contest. The name is an abbreviation of "Aichino, Ookina, Oishii Unagi" ("Aichi's first, big, delicious eel"), and is named after Ieyasu Ieyasu, who was born in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, where eel farming is thriving.
The eels are shaped like a heart, inspired by the "love" of Aichi Prefecture. The eels are fed soy isoflavones, which are attracting attention as a health food, and soybeans are used to decorate the pectoral fins of the eels. "Aoi Eel" has a blue back, which is a characteristic of high-quality eels, so we layered blue eels on top. They are highly rated for their rich fat content, soft, plump meat, and delicious taste.
■ Overview of patented technology
Eel farming involves raising wild glass eels, but their stock is said to be declining. To ensure sustainable use of eel resources, it has become necessary to grow and ship single glass eels. However, for reasons that are unclear, more than 90% of farmed eels are male, and as they grow larger, their meat toughens and their quality declines. Meanwhile, female eels are known to grow larger and have softer flesh than males. The Aichi Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station, noticing this, began developing technology to produce female eels. They developed a new method for efficiently producing female eels by feeding them soy isoflavones, which are found in soybeans. This technology was jointly patented by Aichi Prefecture, the Isshiki Eel Fisheries Cooperative, and Kyoritsu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. on November 4, 2021 (Patent No. 6970992).