Fugu (河豚 : ふぐ, Fugu^?) is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish (normally species of Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides) or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Because pufferfish is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly, fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Japanese school uniform Japanese high school students wearing the sailor outfit Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century as a part of its modernisation program. ... Japanese high school students in uniform, many are girls wearing sailor girl outfits The sailor outfit Japanese school uniform (セーラー服 sērā-fuku) is strictly for girls of middle and high school age (although some people wear it as a costume). ... Fugu could be: Fugu, a type of pufferfish Fugu (software), an FTP/SFTP client This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Genera Amblyrhynchotes Arothron Auriglobus Canthigaster Carinotetraodon Chelonodon Colomesus Contusus Ephippion Feroxodon Fugu Gastrophysus Javichthys Lagocephalus Liosaccus Marilyna Monotretus Omegaphora Pelagocephalus Polyspina Reicheltia Sphoeroides Takifugu Tetractenos Tetraodon Torquigener Tylerius Xenopterus For species see Genera articles. ... Genera Amblyrhynchotes Arothron Auriglobus Canthigaster Carinotetraodon Chelonodon Colomesus Contusus Ephippion Feroxodon Fugu Gastrophysus Javichthys Lagocephalus Liosaccus Marilyna Monotretus Omegaphora Pelagocephalus Polyspina Reicheltia Sphoeroides Takifugu Tetractenos Tetraodon Torquigener Tylerius Xenopterus For species see Genera articles. ... Genera (See list at end of article) Takifugu is a genus of pufferfish, often better known with the Japanese name Fugu (Japanese: 河豚 or 鰒). There are 25 species belonging to the genus Takifugu, which can be found worldwide from about 45° latitude north to 45° latitude south, mostly... Species See text. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Species Members of the diodontidae, species of the genus diodon are usually known as porcupinefishes or balloonfishes. ... There are many views as to what defines Japanese cuisine, as the everyday food of the Japanese people has diversified immensely over the past century or so. ...

Toxicity

Pufferfish contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the internal organs, especially the liver and ovaries, and also the skin. Therefore, only specially licensed chefs are allowed to prepare and sell fugu to the public, and the consumption of the liver and ovaries is forbidden. However, a number of people die every year from consuming improperly prepared fugu. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is currently no antidote, and the standard medical approach is to try to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the effect of the poison wears off. Non-lethal quantities of the poison remain in the flesh of the fish and give a special desired tingling sensation on the tongue. Tetrodotoxin (anhydrotetrodotoxin 4-epitetrodotoxin, tetrodonic acid, TTX) is a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote, which blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the pores of the voltage-gated, fast sodium channels in nerve cell membranes. ... For other uses of Muscles, see Muscles (disambiguation). ... Asphyxia is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body. ... An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. ... The Respiratory System Among four-legged animals, the respiratory system generally includes tubes, such as the bronchi, used to carry air to the lungs, where gas exchange takes place. ... For transport in plants, see Vascular tissue. ...

Consumption

Takifugu rubripes for sale to master fugu chefs at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo — after the highly toxic liver has been removed.

Fugu has been consumed in Japan for centuries, although its historic origins are unclear. Bones of fugu have been found in several shell mounds called kaizuka in Jōmon period that date back more than 2,300 years. The Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868) prohibited the consumption of fugu in Edo and its area of influence, yet it became common again as the power of the shogunate weakened. In Western regions of Japan, where the influence of the Government was weaker and fugu was easier to obtain, various cooking methods were developed to safely eat these fish. During the Meiji Era (1867-1912) fugu was again banned in many areas of Japan. Fugu is also the only delicacy officially forbidden to the Emperor of Japan, for his own safety. Download high resolution version (1332x936, 340 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (1332x936, 340 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Tsukiji as seen from Shiodome End of the fresh tuna auction at Tsukiji. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with midden. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Jomon Period. ... The Tokugawa shogunate or Tokugawa bakufu (徳川幕府) (also known as the Edo bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship of Japan established in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family until 1868. ... Year 1603 (MDCIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治&#26178... Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For the CPR ocean liner, see Empress of Japan. ...

The most prestigious edible species is the torafugu or Tiger Blowfish (T. rubripes), which is also the most poisonous. Other species are also eaten, as for example T. pardalis, T. vermicularis, and T. porphyreus. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare has created a list which shows which species contain body parts that can be consumed. Other genera that can be consumed according to them include the puffers Lagocephalus and Sphoeroides, and the related porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省; Kōsei-rōdō-shō) is one of ministries in the Japanese government. ... Genera (See list at end of article) Takifugu is a genus of pufferfish, often better known with the Japanese name Fugu (Japanese: 河豚 or 鰒). There are 25 species belonging to the genus Takifugu, which can be found worldwide from about 45° latitude north to 45° latitude south, mostly... Genera See text for genera and species. ...

The high demand of fugu has led to overfishing. Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect the fugu population from being depleted. Most fugu are now harvested in the spring during the spawning season, and then farmed in floating cages in the Pacific Ocean. The largest wholesale market for fugu in Japan is in Shimonoseki. The Traffic Light colour convention, showing the concept of Harvest Control Rule (HCR), specifying when a rebuilding plan is mandatory in terms of precautionary and limit reference points for spawning biomass and fishing mortality rate. ... Shimonoseki (下関市; -shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan. ...

Fugu prices rise in autumn and peak in winter, which is the best time to eat fugu, as they fatten to survive the cold. The fugu is shipped to the restaurant alive and stored in the restaurant in a large tank, usually prominently displayed. As fugu are aggressive and have sharp teeth, in captivity the mouths of fugu are often sewn shut to keep the fish from injuring each other^{[citation needed]}. Prepared fugu is also often available in grocery stores, which must display official documents that license them to distribute fresh fugu. Whole fugu may not be sold to the general public. The term captivity is used to refer to the following meanings: the state of being confined to a space from which it is hard or impossible to escape; see imprisonment. ... For a large scale grocery store, see supermarket. ...

Fugu in a tank

Since 1958, only specially licensed chefs can prepare and sell fugu to the public. The fugu apprentice needs a two- or three-year apprenticeship before being allowed to take an official test. The test consists of a written test, a fish-identification test, and a practical test of preparing fugu and then eating it. Only 30% of the applicants pass the test. This, of course, does not mean that 70% die from poisoning; rather, they made a small mistake in the long and complicated procedure of preparing the dish. Due to this rigorous examination process, it is generally safe to eat the sliced fugu sold in restaurants or markets. Download high resolution version (864x474, 62 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (864x474, 62 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... For other uses, see Chef (disambiguation). ... If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ...

Furthermore, most fugu sold nowadays comes from fish with only a small amount of toxin. Selling or serving the most toxic liver is illegal in Japan, but this "forbidden fruit" is still sometimes eaten by amateur cooks, often with fatal results. After the years following Japan's defeat in World War II, when several homeless people died from eating fugu organs that had been discarded into insecure trashcans, restaurants in Japan were required to store the poisonous inner organs in specially locked barrels that are later burned as hazardous waste. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A homeless man pushes a cart down the street. ... This article describes hazardous waste as a substance; for the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal see Basel Convention Put simply, a Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment and generally exhibits one...

A dish of fugu can cost easily ¥5000 (approx. US$50) but it can be found for as little as ¥2000 (approx. US$20), and a full course fugu meal can cost between ¥10,000 and ¥20,000 (approx. US$100 to US$200) or more. Due to the expense of fugu, the fish is sliced very carefully to obtain the largest possible amount of meat without the poison. A special knife called fugu hiki is traditionally used to slice fugu and it is usually stored carefully in a separate location from other knives. Yanagi ba (left) and Tako hiki (right) Tako hiki (タコ引, literally, octopus-pull), yanagi ba (柳刃, literally, willow blade), and fugu hiki (ふぐ引き, literally, pufferfish-puller) are long thin knives used in the Japanese kitchen, belonging to the group of Sashimi hōchō (Japanese: 刺身包丁Sashimi [raw fish] hōchō [knife]) to prepare sashimi...

While fugu connoisseurs love the taste and the texture of the fugu, many people actually find it rather bland and tasteless. Some professional chefs prepare the fish so that there is a minute amount of poison in the meat, giving a prickling feeling and numbness on the tongue and the lips. The most popular dish is fugu sashimi, also called Fugu sashi or tessa, sliced so thin that the pattern of the plate can be seen through the meat. These plates are often decorated so that the removal of the slices will be aesthetically pleasing as well. The fins of the fish are also fried and served in hot sake, a dish called Fugu Hire-zake. A connoisseur (Fr. ... For other uses, see Tongue (disambiguation). ... The mouth, also known as the buccal cavity or the oral cavity, is the opening through which an animal or human takes in food. ... Assorted sashimi Sashimi (Japanese: ) is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafoods, thinly sliced into pieces about 2. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. ...

Vegetables and fugu can also be simmered as Fugu-chiri, also called techiri, in which case the very light taste of the fish is hard to detect among the taste of the vegetables and the dip. Fugu can also be eaten deep fried as Fugu Kara-age. If the spikes in the skin are pulled out, the skin can also be eaten as part of a salad called yubiki. For other uses, see Vegetable (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Skin (disambiguation). ...

In several remote locations, complex pickling processes have been devised, which allow the poisonous parts of the fugu to be eaten. While the exact methods are kept secret, they involve long and heavy saturation in sake and salt for over three years. For other uses, see Pickle. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. ... For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation). ...

Fugu poisoning

Tetrodotoxin is a very potent neurotoxin and shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by binding to the pores of sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. Tetrodotoxin is not affected by the heat of cooking^{[citation needed]}. It does not cross the blood–brain barrier, leaving the victim fully conscious while paralyzing the remainder of the body. In animal studies with mice, 8 μg tetrodotoxin per kg body weight killed 50% of the mice. The pufferfish itself is not susceptible to the poison due to a mutation in the protein sequence of the sodium channel pump on the cell membranes. A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells – neurons – usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... Nerves (yellow) Nerves redirects here. ... A pore, in general, is some form of opening, usually very small. ... Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that help to establish and control the small voltage gradient that exists across the plasma membrane of all living cells (see cell potential) by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... This article is about cells in the nervous system. ... Look up cell membrane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a membranic structure that acts primarily to protect the brain from chemicals in the blood, while still allowing essential metabolic function. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... An LD50 test being administered In toxicology, the LD50 or colloquially semilethal dose of a particular substance is a measure of how much constitutes a lethal dose. ...

The symptoms from ingesting a lethal dose of tetrodotoxin may include dizziness, exhaustion, headache, nausea or difficulty breathing. For 50% to 80% of the victims, death follows within four to 24 hours. The victim remains fully conscious throughout most of the ordeal, but cannot speak or move due to paralysis, and soon also cannot breathe and subsequently asphyxiates. If the victim survives the first 24 hours, he or she usually recovers completely.

There is no known antidote, and treatment consists of emptying the stomach, feeding the victim activated charcoal to bind the toxin and taking standard life-support measures to keep the victim alive until the effect of the poison has worn off. Japanese toxicologists in several medical research centres are currently working on developing an antidote to tetrodotoxin. An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. ... Activated carbon (also called activated charcoal) is the more general term which includes material mostly derived from charcoal. ...

As mentioned above, commercially available fugu in supermarkets or restaurants is very safe and, while not unheard of, poisoning from these products is very rare. Most deaths from fugu occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves. In some cases they even eat the highly poisonous liver on purpose as a delicacy. As not all fishes are equally poisonous this may not always lead to death, but sometimes give little more than the desired numbness on the lips and tongue while eating and shortly thereafter. However, in many cases this numbness of the lips is only the first step of a lethal fugu poisoning.

Some sources claim that about 100 people die each year from fugu poisoning^{[citation needed]}, while other sources say only 10 to 20 per year^{[citation needed]}. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 14 people died of blowfish poisoning between 2002 and 2006. Some of the reported variations may be the result of different sequences of years being studied, as for example in 1958 - the first year the preparation of fugu required a special license in Japan - 176 people died of fugu poisoning. According to the Fugu Research Institute 50% of the victims were poisoned by eating the liver, 43% from eating the ovaries and 7% from eating the skin. One of the most famous victims was the famous Kabuki actor and "living national treasure" Bandō Mitsugorō VIII who requested four servings of fugu liver and, in 1975, died after eating them. The fugu chef of the restaurant could not refuse the request from such a prestigious artist. Subsequently, the chef lost his license for breaking the law. The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Bandō Mitsugorō VIII[1](坂東 三津五郎八代目)(19 October 1906 - 16 January 1975) was one of Japans most revered Kabuki actors from the 1930s until his death. ...

There are some reports of completely paralyzed but fully conscious victims that were believed to be dead, and woke up a few days later or just before being cremated^{[citation needed]}. In some parts of Japan a fugu victim is put next to his coffin for three days to verify the death. If the body does not decompose then it is not yet dead. The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ... For people named Coffin, see Coffin (surname). ... For other uses, see Decomposition (disambiguation). ...

The pufferfish is also reported to be one of the main ingredients used in voodoo to turn people into zombies. According to ethnobotanist Wade Davis, the pufferfish is the key ingredient in the first step of creating a zombie, where the tetrodotoxin creates a 'death-like' state. In the second step, hallucinogens are used to hold the person in a will-less zombie state. There was considerable skepticism to Davis's claims; he was widely accused of fraud, and there has been no final statement as to the veracity of his findings.^[1] This article is about the West African religion. ... This article is about the undead. ... Edmund Wade Davis (born December 14, 1953) is a noted anthropologist and ethnobotanist whose work has usually focused on the observation and analysis of the customs, beliefs, and social relations of indigenous cultures in North and South America, particularly the traditional uses and beliefs associated with plants with psychoactive properties. ... The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. ...

Scientists at Nagasaki University have reportedly succeeded in breeding a non-toxic variety of torafugu by restricting the fish's diet. With over 4800 fish raised and found to be non-toxic, they are fairly certain that the fish's diet and digestive process are what actually produce the toxins that make it deadly. The non-toxic version is said to taste the same, but be completely safe for consumption. Some are skeptical, saying that the species of pufferfish play an important role (the fish could have all been of the same species which are all non-toxic), and that the toxicity has nothing to do with the pufferfish's diet^[2]. Nagasaki University ) is a national university of Japan located in the city of Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. ...

Recent evidence has shown that tetrodotoxin is produced by certain bacteria - such as Pseudoalteromonas tetraodonis, certain species of Pseudomonas and Vibrio, as well as some others - and that these are the source of the toxin in pufferfish. Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Type species Pseudomonas aeruginosa Species group P. aeruginosa P. alcaligenes P. anguilliseptica P. argentinensis P. borbori P. citronellolis P. flavescens P. mendocina P. nitroreducens P. oleovorans P. pseudoalcaligenes P. resinovorans P. straminea group P. aurantiaca P. aureofaciens P. chlororaphis P. fragi P. lundensis P. taetrolens group P. antarctica P. azotoformans... Vibrio is a genus of bacteria, included in the gamma subgroup of the Proteobacteria. ...

On August 23, 2007, a doctor in Thailand reported that unscrupulous fish sellers sold meat from the highly poisonous puffer fish disguised as salmon, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people over the past 3 years. About 115 people were brought to different hospitals. Fugu was banned in Thailand five years prior.^[3]

Social aspects

Fugu and Japanese amberjack by Hiroshige (1832)

The popularity of fugu in Japan is an interesting phenomenon. Fugu is a very expensive fish, has some potentially lethal side effects, and is by most people considered to have a very weak taste (although many Japanese gourmets would disagree). The combination of these factors would normally give humans a low preference for its consumption. However, it seems one of the attractions of the low-flavored fish is the risk of potential death, regardless of how low that actual likelihood stands in a commercial restaurant. It can be assumed that the fish would be much less popular if it were not so poisonous. Download high resolution version (1200x801, 293 KB)Ando Hiroshige (1797 - 1858): A Shoal of Fishes. ... Download high resolution version (1200x801, 293 KB)Ando Hiroshige (1797 - 1858): A Shoal of Fishes. ... Binomial name Seriola quinqueradiata Temminck & Schlegel, 1845 The Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, is a fish in the family Carangidae. ... Memorial portrait of Hiroshige by Kunisada. ... Year 1832 (MDCCCXXXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A gourmet is a person with a sensitive and discriminating palate, and who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink or haute cuisine. ...

The Japanese poet Yosa Buson (1716–1783) expressed some of this feeling in a famous senryu: This is an alphabetical list of authors who are Japanese, or are famous for having written in the Japanese language. ... Grave of Buson Yosa Buson, or Yosa no Buson (与謝蕪村, 1716 – December 25, 1784), was a Japanese poet and painter from the Edo period. ... // Events August 5 - In the Battle of Peterwardein 40. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Senryū (川柳, literally river willow) is a Japanese form of short poetry similar to haiku in construction: three lines with 17 or fewer syllables in total. ...

I cannot see her tonight.

I have to give her up

So I will eat fugu.

In the Kansai region the slang word teppo, (鉄砲) meaning rifle or gun, is used for the fish. This is a play of words on the verb ataru (当たる), which can mean either to be poisoned or to be shot. In Yamaguchi Prefecture, the pronunciation fuku is common instead of fugu. The former means good fortune whereas the latter is a homonym for disabled. The Tsukiji fish market fugu association holds a service each year at the height of the fugu season, releasing hundreds of caught fugu into the (rather polluted) Sumida River. A similar ceremony is also held at another large market in Shimonoseki. The Kansai (Japanese: 関西) region of Japan, also known as the Kinki region (近畿地方, Kinki-chihō), lies in the Southern-Central region of Japans main island, Honshu. ... Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県 Yamaguchi-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Tsukiji as seen from Shiodome End of the fresh tuna auction at Tsukiji. ... The Sumida River flowing through Adachi, Tokyo The Sumida River (隅田川, Sumida-gawa) is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. ... Shimonoseki (下関市; -shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan. ...

A rakugo, or humorous short story, tells of three men that prepared a fugu stew but were unsure as to whether it was safe to eat. To test the stew, they gave some to a beggar. When it did not seem to do him any harm they ate the stew. Later, they met the beggar again and were delighted to see that he was still in good health. After that encounter, the beggar, who had in fact not eaten the stew but hidden it, knew that it was safe and he could eat it. The three men had been fooled by the wise beggar. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Chairman Kaga, the fictional eccentric and flamboyant host of the cooking show Iron Chef, was said to have died of fugu poisoning after the regular run of the series ended. The Chairman was killed off partly because the actor portraying him, Kaga Takeshi, had prior commitments that prevented him from reprising his role in an Iron Chef special. Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai With the above words begins each edition of Iron Chef, a Japanese television program produced by FujiTV. The original Japanese title is Ironmen of Cooking ). It began airing on October 10, 1993 as a half-hour show and after 23 episodes, it was expanded to a... Takeshi Kaga (鹿賀 丈史 Kaga Takeshi) is a well known stage and movie actor in Japan, and is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV. His birth name is Shigekatsu Katsuda (勝田 薫且 Katsuda Shigekatsu). ...

Lanterns can be made from the bodies of preserved fugu. These are occasionally seen outside of fugu restaurants, as children's toys, as folk art or as souvenirs for tourists. Fugu skin may also be made into everyday objects like wallets or waterproof boxes.

There is a fugu museum in Osaka. Osaka Castle (ÅŒsaka-jō) Location in Japan Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) Osaka railway station The Osaka Tower (TsÅ«tenkaku) Osaka City   listen? (大阪市; ÅŒsaka-shi) is the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2. ...

During an episode of The Simpsons called One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish, Homer is served a poorly prepared dish of fugu and is told he has 22 hours left to live. Simpsons redirects here. ... “One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish” is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons’ second season. ...

An episode of the TV series Columbo involves a murder of one chef by another using poison obtained from Fugu (Season 7 episode titled "Murder Under Glass"; see Columbo Season 7 Episodes. Columbo is an American crime fiction TV series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. ... Here is a list of all the Columbo episodes: // Prescription: Murder (2/20/68) imdb Gene Barry is Dr. Ray Flemming, a psychiatrist who murders his wife and uses an actress/patient/lover to impersonate her to create an alibi. ...

Availability

Most Japanese cities have one or more fugu restaurants. They may be clustered together, as past regulations had placed limits on where the stores may be opened, and also the location of restaurants made it easier to have fugu delivered fresh. A famous restaurant specializing in fugu is Takefuku, in the Ginza district in Tokyo. Zuboraya is another popular chain in Osaka. The Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan The Wako department store occupies a busy corner in Ginza Ginza (銀座) is a place in Chūō Ward, Tokyo named after the silver coin foundry or Ginza established here in 1612 (Edo period). ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Osaka )   is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of HonshÅ«. The city is the capital of Osaka Prefecture. ...

Fugu is also consumed in South Korea, where it is known as bok (복 ). It is very popular in port cities such as Busan and Incheon. It is prepared in a number of dishes such as soups or salads and also commands a very high price. Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... Inchon redirects here. ...

Few restaurants in the United States serve fugu; as of 2003, only seventeen restaurants were licensed to do so of which twelve are in New York.^[4]. The fugu is first cleaned of the most toxic parts in Japan and then is freeze-flown to the USA under licence, in purpose-built, clear, plastic containers. The fugu chefs for U.S. restaurants are trained under the same rigorous specifications as in Japan. This article is about the state. ...

Sale of fishes belonging to this genus is forbidden altogether in the European Union. ^[5]

See also

• Culture of Japan
• Cuisine of Japan
• Fugu Plan
• Pufferfish
• Seafood
• Shanghai Fugu Agreement
• Takifugu
• Tetrodotoxin

The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the years, from the countrys original Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. ... There are many views of what is fundamental to Japanese cuisine. ... This article or section cites its sources but does not provide page references. ... Genera Amblyrhynchotes Arothron Auriglobus Canthigaster Carinotetraodon Chelonodon Colomesus Contusus Ephippion Feroxodon Fugu Gastrophysus Javichthys Lagocephalus Liosaccus Marilyna Monotretus Omegaphora Pelagocephalus Polyspina Reicheltia Sphoeroides Takifugu Tetractenos Tetraodon Torquigener Tylerius Xenopterus For species see Genera articles. ... Spaghetti with seafood (Spaghetti allo scoglio). ... Fugu, a poisonous delicacy The Shanghai Fugu Agreement was a successful political prank which was landed on the Social Democrats in the German state of Hesse in 1985. ... Genera (See list at end of article) Takifugu is a genus of pufferfish, often better known with the Japanese name Fugu (Japanese: 河豚 or 鰒). There are 25 species belonging to the genus Takifugu, which can be found worldwide from about 45° latitude north to 45° latitude south, mostly... Tetrodotoxin (anhydrotetrodotoxin 4-epitetrodotoxin, tetrodonic acid, TTX) is a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote, which blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the pores of the voltage-gated, fast sodium channels in nerve cell membranes. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Centers for Disease Control (1996-05-17). "Tetrodotoxin Poisoning Associated With Eating Puffer Fish Transported from Japan" (PDF). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 45 (19): 389-412. 
• Benzer, Theodore (2005). Toxicity, Tetrodotoxin. Emedicine.com.
• Sueyoshi´, Sueyoshi's pages on fishes. Retrieved Sep 11, 2004
• The Fugu Genomics Project. School of Biological & Chemical Sciences. Queen Mary university of London. Retrieved on 2006-04-11.
• Greg Elgar, Melody S. Clark, Stephen Meek, Sarah Smith, Sarah Warner, Yvonne J.K. Edwards, Nassima Bouchireb, Amanda Cottage, Giles S.H. Yeo, Yagnesh Umrania, Gary Williams, and Sydney Brenner (1999) Generation and Analysis of 25 Mb of Genomic DNA from the Pufferfish Fugu rubripes by Sequence Scanning(dead link), Genome Research (10), 960-971

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External links

• Personal Account of surviving a fugu poisoning
• A Delicacy to Die For at National Geographic Magazine
• National Geographic Podcast on fugu