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Golden Week has finally begun in earnest! How is everyone in the international community doing? For those of you working at foreign-affiliated companies, what are your plans for the holidays?

As the weather warms up and we gradually head toward early summer, you will start seeing Hatsugatsuo (the first bonito/skipjack tuna of the season) lining the shelves of supermarkets and fishmongers. Spotting them always makes me feel the changing of the seasons, and I can't help but pick one up.

Hatsugatsuo has been an incredibly popular delicacy since the Edo period. The famous Edo-era haiku poet Sodo Yamaguchi wrote, "Fresh green leaves, the song of the cuckoo, and the first bonito of the season." As this poem shows, it has long been a special seasonal symbol heralding the arrival of early summer.

Back then, people believed that eating the first catch of the season (hatsumono) would extend your lifespan by 75 days. Hatsugatsuo was particularly beloved. There was even a famous saying: "Pawn your wife to buy Hatsugatsuo." It sparked such a passionate craze that people were literally willing to go into debt just to taste it.

Furthermore, among the samurai class, the fish was highly prized for its name. "Katsuo" sounds exactly like the Japanese word for "Winning Man" (勝男). Because of this, it was treasured as an extremely lucky fish that brought good fortune in battles and competitions. For modern professionals, eating Hatsugatsuo before an important meeting, presentation, or sales pitch might just be the perfect way to boost your luck!

The people of Edo ate Hatsugatsuo not just for its taste, but for its iki (chic style) and good fortune. To all the expats and foreign residents living in Japan: why not embrace this historical tradition and try some Hatsugatsuo during your stay?