Japanese eels are cooled in sink before being cooked at eel restaurant in Tokyo
Japanese eels are cooled in a sink before being cooked at an eel restaurant 'Yaotoku' in Tokyo July 26, 2007. Many Japanese eat vitamin-rich eel in summer to bolster their stamina after days of heat-enervated appetites, especially so on Eel Day -- formally known as "Doyo no Ushi no Hi" -- on July 30, a date determined by the ancient solar calendar and believed to be the hottest of the year. Eel aficionados -- who devour broiled eels in a bid to beat the heat -- are opting for pricey domestic eels over cheap Chinese imports amid food safety fears. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN)