Pre-reading questions:
- Do you agree that sushi is the most famous food in Japan? Explain your answer.
- Do you like eating raw fish? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
- famed /feymd/
- decreasing /dih-KREE-sing/
- develop /dih-VEL-uhp/
- half-grown /haf-grohn/
- expand /ik-SPAND/
[adjective] famous or known to many people
There are many famed restaurants around the city.
[adjective] becoming less
The decreasing number of employment in the country is alarming.
[verb] to grow
A newly opened restaurant needs to develop new ways to gain customers.
[adjective] not yet fully grown
The half-grown crops can be harvested after a month.
[verb] to increase something in size, number, or importance
The company’s goal is to expand the business two years from now.
A famed sushi restaurant in Japan, Kura Sushi Inc., was the first to grow fish in tanks until they are ready to be used. This is to deal with the decreasing amount of fish caught in the country. The restaurant in Osaka Prefecture began growing red sea bream on its own in Anan, Tokushima in June 2019 and will start growing “hamachi” or amberjack in July. They aim to develop half-grown fish until they weigh more than a kilogram and will start using them in 2021.
Kura Sushi stated that almost 10 tons of young amberjack and 1 ton of young red sea bream were caught in a year. Half-grown fish that are not suitable for sushi are used to make other cuisines. The fish supply in Japan continues to fall based on the annual report of the Fisheries Agency while the global demand for fishery products and prices for famous fish used for sushi have increased. Kura Sushi’s executive director, Hiroyuki Hisamune, wished to maintain the cost of raised fish that consumers had taken and to expand the kinds of fish it farms depending on the success of the project.
Kura Sushi stated that almost 10 tons of young amberjack and 1 ton of young red sea bream were caught in a year. Half-grown fish that are not suitable for sushi are used to make other cuisines. The fish supply in Japan continues to fall based on the annual report of the Fisheries Agency while the global demand for fishery products and prices for famous fish used for sushi have increased. Kura Sushi’s executive director, Hiroyuki Hisamune, wished to maintain the cost of raised fish that consumers had taken and to expand the kinds of fish it farms depending on the success of the project.
Comprehension Questions:
- Based on the article, what was the first restaurant to grow fish in tanks?
- What does the restaurant Osaka Prefecture start growing on its own in June this year?
- According to Kura Sushi, how many tons of young amberjack and young red sea bream were caught in a year?
- Who is the executive director of Kura Sushi?
- What did Hiroyuki Hisamune wish to maintain?
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think raising half-grown fish in tanks would be more helpful to sushi restaurants like Kura Sushi?
- Why do you think the fish supply in Japan is decreasing? Please elaborate.
- In Japan, what is the most common fish used in sushi? Tell me more about it.
- What is the most in-demand fish used for cuisines in Japan and why?
- What is your favorite sushi restaurant? Explain your answer.