Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
December 2, 2025 at 14:12 JST
An old Japanese adage goes: “Don’t let your wife eat ‘aki saba’ (autumn mackerel).”
This is usually interpreted as an example of the petty meanness of the stereotypical mother-in-law who forbids her son to let his wife enjoy this seasonal delicacy.
However, another theory is that the mother-in-law is actually looking out for her beloved daughter-in-law’s health, as mackerels tend to go bad quickly in autumn.
Whichever it is, this just goes to stress the deliciousness of aki saba.
But Yoshiko Tatsumi, a culinary expert, believes there is something even better. She once wrote that if she had to choose between an aki saba and “kan saba” (winter mackerel), the latter, which is now coming into season, would be the winner.
Kan saba has a finer fat texture than its autumn counterpart, she explained.
A poem goes to the effect, “Filleting a kan saba/ The knife gleams in the light/ The fat oozes like a ‘fumon’ (wind-wrought pattern).”
The Saganoseki district of the city of Oita, one of the nation’s top kan saba producers, experienced a devastating fire last month.
I visited the area. Kyosuke Sato, 53, the branch manager of the prefectural fisheries cooperative office, said, “After the fire, those who can keep fishing have been doing so.”
I was treated to kan saba sashimi. Admiring the deep blue and silver slices, I savored the deep “umami” coming out from the firm flesh. The fish definitely lived up to its fame.
The broad fire-ravaged expanse was surrounded by mountains and further cordoned off, so that even the locals cannot see the entire area.
Of the fisheries cooperative’s roughly 370 members, about 30 were residents of the affected area, but they are reportedly still waiting to know the exact extent of the damage.
I cannot even begin to imagine their misery of having had to flee in the cold wind before they could carry anything out of their homes.
The old kanji for “ei,” which also implies living space, contained a pair of the kanji for “fire.”
The devastating fire has been put out, but it may be a while before the residents can resume their pre-disaster routine.
Sato said: “I believe that the fishermen who were affected (by the fire) will definitely come back to the sea, once they are able to. Until then, I would appreciate it if people would support us by continuing to love and enjoy our saba.”
I am sure there are things we can do to help, no matter how far away we are.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 2
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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People line up to buy fresh mackerel in Oita’s Saganoseki district on Feb. 17, 2007. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
