By NATSUNO OTAHARA/ Staff Writer
October 1, 2023 at 18:59 JST
Amanita pantherina, a poisonous mushroom (Provided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health)
A Tokyo family of four was struck by toadstool poisoning after mistaking the fungi they picked in a park for edible mushrooms.
The metropolitan government issued a warning against eating wild mushrooms unless they are confirmed to be safe.
The family from the capital’s Shinjuku Ward picked the fungi at a park in Saitama Prefecture north of Tokyo and sauteed their haul on Sept. 18.
Within 30 minutes or so of eating them, they started throwing up and twitching. All four were rushed to a hospital after falling into a confused state and complaining they felt groggy.
Two of them were hospitalized but they have recovered, metropolitan government officials said.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health found that the poisoning was caused by Amanita pantherina, which grows on the ground in broad-leaved forests.
The toxic mushroom is also known as panther cap.
Toadstool poisoning occurs in September and October when mushroom hunting is in season.
In Tokyo, 11 people were treated over the past two decades for poisoning after eating toadstools. Fatalities have been reported outside the capital.
Metropolitan government officials are calling on people not to judge whether certain mushrooms are edible based solely on photos in botanical guides and on the internet.
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