Tokyo blowfish laws

This item appears on page 41 of the August 2012 issue.

The preparation of blowfish, or puffer fish, must be done carefully, as certain parts contain a deadly neurotoxin. In Tokyo, laws coming into effect in October will allow restaurants each to serve blowfish without a license to do so. Officials noted that outside of Tokyo, where restrictions on serving blowfish have been less stringent, very few poisonings have occurred. Within Tokyo, the licensing requirement had led to blowfish being served mainly in expensive, high-end restaurants.