41 comments

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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  It takes guts (no pun intended) to prepare fugu by yourself. Wow. And I would never try fugu. I've heard the taste is subtle, but I can get that in a bunch of other kinds of non-possibly-lethal fishies. I would, however, try a tofugu. It's healthier because it's soy.
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  It's healthier than that cookie you're eating in that avatar. The shoyu has turned green, it's rotting.
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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  For the last time, it's FESTIVE, not rotting :<
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  lol I know. I see the little festive hat.
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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  Haha, you're pirating our pictures!
  
  Smoking frog, ftw.
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  Arg!。。 yea sorry, I just like the frog.
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  mmnessa

  1 year ago

  Same here. I don't think I would be able to eat something without ignoring the fact that it could....kill me?
  I prefer buying safe $55,000 tuna (which I really like)
  
  Oh yeah, and I watched the Water Horse movie. Okay, maybe just the first half an hour *boring*
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  Viet

  1 year ago

  Tuna isn't that safe either, granted it isn't as bad as the fugu. Bluefin tuna is known to contain very high levels of mercury. Eating the entire tuna will definitely have adverse effects to your health, maybe even kill you.
  
  So the choices are be in great pain for a few days and die or slowly become mentally retarded or crazy (mad-hatter anyone?)
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  mmnessa

  1 year ago

  I think I lost count of how many things will have adverse effects to our health. Tuna is at least tasty and well, I haven't heard anyone dying after eating tuna. Links, anyone?
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  Viet

  1 year ago

  I thought it was common knowledge that mercury was toxic to humans? The issues it can do to a person's health isn't debatable like if chicken eggs are good or bad for you or going with an Atkins diet may lead to heart disease. It's pretty clearcut what mercury can do to humans. Maybe I take this knowledge as granted since I deal with these sort of things in my field.
  
  Each species of tuna contains different levels of mercury. It just so happens there is some correlation with the price of tuna and the amount or ppm of mercury it contains. The more expensive the tuna, the more ppm of mercury it contains. Bluefin is no exception to this correlation and is known to carry dangerous amounts of mercury.
  
  The tuna you buy in your local convenience store (canned or "fresh") or at a standard sushi shop contains a lesser amount of mercury, sometimes negligible. Most of the time you are just eating Yellowtail or some lesser tuna, which again has relatively low levels of mercury. Of course, the cliche "eat everything in moderation" is applicable here.
  
  In my previous comment I suggested if someone consumes the ***entire*** bluefin tuna within a reasonable consumption period, then there is a chance of death since the amount of mercury in your system will be insane. I wasn't suggesting that eating your typical tuna will kill you. Tuna has good qualities to it also, like Omega-3 acids.
  
  So to sum it all up, my last message was in the scope of which is safer: eating fugu or eating the entire $55k huge bluefin. Both have the potential of not being safe at all. But with fugu it is extremely safe if handled correctly. With tuna you can't do anything about the mercury.
  
  I apologize if this is too long. I get sort of passionate on topics about chemistry, biology, and some sciences.
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  Fredy

  1 year ago

  Amazing... I don't like fish too much... Am I safe? :D Tuna is okay... like once a semsester...
  
  Chemistry! I need to study that for IB Exams if questions on mercury come up I will remember this! Yay for the free response paper that I left half blank the first time!
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  koichi

  1 year ago

  oh dangm. I did the IB program. So much better than AP, yeah? haha. I spent a year abroad, though, so I didn't get to take the tests (thankfully?)
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  Viet

  1 year ago

  How is IB working out for you? Around here IB credits aren't weighted as much as AP credits when converting over to college course credits, at least that was the case a few years ago. It was disappointing to do as much work as those AP people and get less return for it :(
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  My AP classes were definitely hard. I just appreciate that I got my credits from History and English.
  
  An added fish fact: If you're studying for any tests etc. Try eating sardines (preferably canned). Sardines contain large amounts of nucleic acid, which helps repair lost nerve cells in the brain. The nucleic acid rejuvenates the nerve cells allowing information to travel faster in the brain. Prime age before these nerves start to deteriorate is 20; after 20, about 10,000 nerve cells will burn out everyday. I also heard they do this in Japan before exams (Confirmation?). I think they called it 'blue sardine week' or something, not sure.
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  buratto

  1 year ago

  I am taking IB too, altho i dont think its hard. IB credits are more acknowledged in europe i think, whereas AP is more North American centered. Just finished my midterms, were easy, dont expect a good mark in anything other than spanish.
  Fish is good for you brain they say, even tho i had no idea why. I prefer salmon :p
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  mmnessa

  1 year ago

  Sardines smell funky ><
  Mom used to make me eat sardines all the time!! she used to say it would 'help my brain' and my marks at school...
  I guess she was right?
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  Fredy

  1 year ago

  Ahh! I didn't think there would be such a big response on the IB. Viet, I'm sorry you didn't get much credit. I'm happy I live in Texas where IB is given credit. As for its difficulty, like many things, it depends on how much work effort you put into studying and just doing work. Me, I did not put much effort to studying chemistry and did horribly in my exam. I'm retaking it though and am studying. Internal Asessments are a pain, at least for Business! I have to find a business... If not I will have to use the wonderful saying, "IB therefore I BS." This was useful in TOK. As much as I hate IB, I still like it and its wierd concepts or attempts to do good things! :D Plus, the acronyms are fun. My music teacher makes a bunch of IB jokes. They're dumb, but "IB thinkin' they're funny." Oh, and as for how it's going, I think it's going well yet I don't. Procrastination and the fact that everything is due isn't cool. :D I'll be okay, I hope. :D Ahh.. life of the IBDC.
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  kevinnwhat

  1 year ago

  i would try fugu but i would obviously be nervous :P Man it would be horrible to go out by just eating a poisonous fish :/ That tokyo monster thing looks really cool lol, i wanna see the movie :o
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  I think the only time I would spend that much money on a fish is if the fish could talk, more so, speak Japanese so I could learn from it. Then I'd become some kind on a news story where this kid learned Japanese from a magical fish. I'd probably name it the "Babel" fish just for amusement.
  
  I wouldn't doubt the origami, but I can only imagine that it wouldn't keep it's shape. I'm picturing a crane in space, then some kind of ball when it reaches earth. The paper ball is the only origami I can make. lol actually thats a lie, I can make a pretty nice rose.
  
  I haven't seen the Water Horse, but it looks interesting. I wouldn't mind having a water horse either, but I don't think it beats a Japanese speaking fish.
  
  As for fugu, I'm willing to try anything once. I'm not so concerned about the taste, but more of the poison. I would most likely order it from a licensed restaurant other than buying it from the store. From what I was told, it makes your mouth numb; something similar to Novocain.
  
  I apologize for this really long post, but it's pretty quiet here at work today. No one wants to rent cars on rainy days. I only have one more cent to drop and it's about the smoking deal. I actually like the idea of reducing the areas that you can smoke in. I was pretty happy when Hawaii decided to enforce the laws against smoking near restaurants etc. I could actually go to town and breathe for once (exaggeration). Here's poster notifying the locals about the new law w/ Augie T:
  
  http://blog.tabista.jp/hirojin/images/5128.jpg
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  koichi

  1 year ago

  i used to have a talking fish. It sang songs like "don't worry be happy"
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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  I want a babelfish ala Hitchhiker's Guide.
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  クリス

  1 year ago

  blasphemy! no actually a talking fish would be amazing.
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  Viet

  1 year ago

  Where the hell did my comment go >.>
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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  You commented before the article was released.
  
  I saw it on the forum (Disqus) but yeah.
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  Liban

  1 year ago

  am not sure that i will be able to eat Fugu (poisonous... hmmm..) am gonig to stick with tuna (the one in the can)
  and about the origami thing(........???.........)
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  buratto

  1 year ago

  I can understand the chef that paid tons of money for that fish. Yknow, fish is basically divided into different parts, and each part is used for different kind of dish. Some parts are more valuable than other. Otoro, for example, is the priciest and rarest meat from tuna, it is taken from right under the head and gills. Its rich in fat, has a nice flavor with a bit of sweetness, and melts in mouth. Maybe the chef saw some parts of the fish as precious? Moreover, the quality and other factors of the fish (such as fat level, chewiness, flavor strength, color) are dependent on when and where it was caught. The chef probably was a perfectionist who wanted the best fish for a dish he was planning to make. Or, indeed, a total idiot.
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  koichi

  1 year ago

  I think part of it might have been that you get a lot of publicity from it. Even if it is costing him money, it is also getting him a ton of free advertising / good PR. It gets the name of his shop out to everyone, which in turn should get more people to visit his sushi shop. I wonder if he'll make a return on it.
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  buratto

  1 year ago

  Yeah, ofcourse. "The more you spend on your fish the better your food is" - ancient japanese proverb. NOT. Publicity and advertising is a part of it for sure.
  
  And about the promotion thing, for waterhorse, i think its really cool. Would be awesome to see it in life. This kinda "huge" happenings in the media world a veyr well advertised in japan, arent they? Just remember the big shadow thing that was used to promote "blue dragon". I wish they did something like that with Gojira, can you imagine the amazed (or indeed terrified) looks on people's faces when Gojira jumps out the Tokyo Bay?
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  Fredy

  1 year ago

  This one has improved a lot since the first one!
  I think that airplane thing may be a waste of money, but hey, whatever.
  I want to watch Waterhorse, I think that water thing was awesome.
  I wouldn't try fugu. I would rather have a festive, or any other kind of, tofugu cookie than a fugu.
  
  For some reason I can reply through disqus but not through Tofugu.
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  mmnessa

  1 year ago

  Believe me, the only awesome thing about that movie is--No wait, the water thing has nothing to do with the movie so, no, there's nothing good about the movie.
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  CP

  1 year ago

  The water horse in Japan looks awsome. I wish we could make something like that in London. Knowing us it would probably be a worse version; stuff here's only of good value if it's been made in Japan
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  shy guy

  1 year ago

  First time visit this blog..
  Fun to see your blog..
  DOnt know when to go Japan..
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  aliene

  1 year ago

  Would ever pay $55,000 for a fish? Any kind of fish?
  >>>Nope! No way!
  
  Will the origami airplane ever make it to Earth?
  >>>How would anyone even know when it arrives? It's so tiny?
  
  Have you seen that Water Horse movie?
  >>>I only know about sea horses O_O
  
  Would you ever try fugu? Would it be a one time thing or would you constantly eat it without fear of death?
  >>I just had a full fugu meal in December in Tokyo. All 3 of us survived, yes, even after fugu testicle sashimi.
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  zattsu-ooru

  1 year ago

  I have a question that is by no means related to any of the topics... The japanese pronunciation of the letter -V-.Now i know that in hiragana and katakana it is represented as -b- but whenever i hear it being pronounced i get buffled. I' ve almost come to think that it is similar to the l - r phoneme. Am i right?
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  Tofugu_Erin

  1 year ago

  Yeah, "v" is pronounced "b" in Japan. It is very much like l&r.
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  zattsu-ooru

  1 year ago

  Thanks. It's odd but i don't see it being pointed out as often as l&r.
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  Elsa

  1 year ago

  Here's info on "water screen" technology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_screen#...
  
  And I have seen Water Horse. It's basically Pan's Labyrinth without the violence--i.e., child dealing with magical realism in a war setting, "war is bad," etc. The baby monster is pretty cute though.
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  Jesse

  1 year ago

  Would ever pay $55,000 for a fish? Any kind of fish?
  Only if it was a shark I could control with my mind.
  
  Will the origami airplane ever make it to Earth?
  I'm intrested in whether or not it is even heavy enough to fall back into Earth's orbit, let alone fall through the atmosphere.
  
  Have you seen that Water Horse movie?
  No I haven't, but I hope they leave that the hologram there as a tourist attraction. It would be a great part of the Tokyo night life.
  
  Would you ever try fugu? Would it be a one time thing or would you constantly eat it without fear of death?
  Sure even though I hate seafood. I force myself to try seafood all the time I just can't adjust to the taste. But you only live once, and I'm open to trying new things. I have confidence that it would be prepared properly.
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  MaverickMeg

  1 year ago

  Would ever pay $55,000 for a fish? Any kind of fish?
  
  Only if it was a magic fish, that also sang and granted wishes.
  
  First wish, to have my 55,000 back. Hah, now I have a FREE magic fish.
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  Eevee

  1 year ago

  hum.. that much money? First, I'd buy everything I've wanted in the past couple years, then I'd save the rest for college/future expenses... then later on in life I'd be like, "so much for that fish!"
  Honestly, way better ways to spend your money. Although... if that's what the guy's dream was, buy a fish for a ridiculous amount of money, I say go ahead!
  The origami? I seriously have no idea of the ramifications of entering the earth's atmosphere, even at a slow speed, so I cannot say. Don't you think that after they send it out of the shuttle that after awhile it'll just start floating around up there? o.o I mean, it's got to have some kind of propulsion system to keep going... they going to attach a tiny rocket or something?
  No, Water Horse, bad. I'm already scared of Ogo Pogo and the Lock Ness Monster! Why would I torture myself further?
  hm, just the thought of eating something called "blowfish" turns me off.
  Plus, spiky...
  I'm not a big fan of seafood in the first place. Maybe one time for fun. Never again, unless I somehow became addicted.
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  noni123

  1 year ago

  I read somewhere that fugu is so dangerous that the emperor is forbidden to eat it. Dunno if it's true though.
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