Eel, eel, conger eel, doze eel
day of the ox in midsummer (during the hottest season)(doyounoushinohi)
almanacHiraga Gennaiaphorismold name of Tokyoloach or eel dipped and broiled in soy-based sauce
The “Doyou” of “Ox days” refers to the 18-day period just before the first day of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In the old calendar, days were counted according to the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, so “Doyou no Ushi” refers to the “day of the Ox” that falls during the “Doyou” period. In modern times, however, the term “Doyou no Ushi” mostly refers to the day before Risshu (the first day of autumn) and the day of the Ox in summer.
The origin of the custom of eating eels in mid-summer is not known, but it is said that in the mid-Edo period, when the Dutch scholar Hiraga Gennai was consulted by an eel shop about declining summer sales, he put up a sign saying, “Today is the day of the Ox, the day of the Ox in the Doyou season, and if you eat eels, you will never lose summer,” and the store became prosperous, leading other stores to copy him. This is well-known.
It is also said that, in addition to eels, it is good to eat other foods with “U” in them, such as melon and udon noodles, to get rid of the summer heat.
