If Tokyo is the center of politics, Osaka is said to be the center of commerce. This is not a picture of an aquarium or a fishing pond, but this is inside a restaurant in Osaka. When you enter through the gate, you will be surprised by two big fishing boats on the “sea.” After you are welcomed on board, and offered a toast, customers notice that there is nothing to eat on the table. Instead, the things beside the table are fishing rods distributed for each individual. Yes, it’s time to go fishing and catch something to eat! This restaurant’s name is “The U-O,” meaning “The Fish.” They say that business is like fishing, but fishing became a business here. You may fish for red sea bream, lobsters, mackerels or maybe catch nothing at all. If you are lucky enough to catch a fish, then it’s time to call a chef and discuss how to cook it. However, since the fish are so fresh that most of them are preferably eaten uncooked, that means they are eaten as raw fish (called sashimi). But what is really astonishing is that the fish are still alive even after served on the table. It is said that such the cuisine is forbidden in Australia, because it is too cruel a way to eat. Can this be true?
But today I was so lucky that I fished a big sea bream, and I ate it alive.