Ayu

Raised by the sea,

returning to the river.

Ayu never forgets

where its journey began.

Neither do we.

Every summer,

we return in our own way.

Ayu (Sweetfish)

Utagawa Hiroshige

National Diet Library

Rare Books Database (Ukiyo-e Collection)

For centuries,ayu

has announcedthe arrival of summer.

Known as the“sweetfish,”

it is celebratedfor its delicate fragrance,

earned fromclear mountain rivers.

Moving betweensea and river,

ayu carriesboth the seasonand memory.

Species

Ayu (Sweetfish)

Plecoglossus altivelis

Family: Plecoglossidae

A migratory fish native to Japan, born in the sea

and returning to rivers as summer arrives.

Celebrated for its delicate fragrance,

ayu is often called the “sweetfish” and

has long been regarded as one of Japan’s

defining seasonal delicacies.