Unagi, or Japanese eel, is commonly served in the popular kabayaki and shirayaki styles. However, a new way of eating eel that puts a new twist on the old tradition is currently being promoted in Hamamatsu city in Shizuoka Prefecture: eel in the form of sashimi (served raw in thinly sliced pieces). Japanese eel sashimi offers an innovative way to enjoy eel that was thought up by a local chef who loves his town, which is known as Japan’s eel capital. Eels’ blood is actually poisonous, so it has been always served cooked, as heat destroys the toxins. That being said, through the strong passion of the chef who aspired to create a new delicacy using this local specialty to energize the local community, aided by traditional artisanal technologies, made it possible way to safely drain the blood from the eels. This simple delicacy lets you savor the natural taste of the fish. You can enjoy the chewy texture and the elegant sweetness of the fat that melts in your mouth as you bite into it. The knowhow of the production is being offered throughout the local community, so it may be established as a new specialty of Hamamatsu in the future.