NHK





 

Workers are busy making roasted red sea bream in central Japan's Mie Prefecture.

Sea bream are a symbol of good fortune in Japan. People offer them as year-end gifts and they're eaten during the New Year holidays.

Mie Prefecture's Owase City is known for its thriving fishing industry.
Workers at a local fish processing firm first gut the sea bream, which are cultivated in the Kumano-nada Sea, and soak them in salt overnight.

They then fill their bellies with seaweed to make them look plump and enhance their flavor. The workers avoid cutting into their bellies as the fish are considered auspicious. Instead, they insert the seaweed through their gills.

The workers then sprinkle on salt and roast the fish whole for about 30 minutes.

The fish processing firm noted that this year's sea bream are fatty and well-shaped, with vibrant color.

Its president, Ogawa Yasunari, said the roasted sea bream prepared this year turned out delicious. He added that he wants people to enjoy them during the New Year holidays.