The Fish That Leads the Way into Autumn 秋の先頭を泳ぐ魚

The Fish That Leads the Way into Autumn
秋の先頭を泳ぐ魚

Hiragana Times
Sep 09, 2026

Japan Savvy – Hiragana Times September 2026 issue

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The Fish That Leads the Way into Autumn

秋あきの先頭せんとうを泳およぐ魚さかな

When the hot summer ends, in addition to the bounty of the fields and mountains—new rice, chestnuts, mushrooms, persimmons—fish that have stored up fat in the food-rich northern waters also come to the waters around Japan.
暑あつい夏なつが終おわると、新米しんまいや栗くり、きのこ、柿かきなど、田畑たはたや山やまの実みのりに加くわえ、餌えさの豊ゆたかな北きたの海うみで脂あぶらを蓄たくわえた魚さかなたちも日本近海にほんきんかいへやってきます。

Swimming at the head of the group is the Pacific saury. Salt-grilled saury eaten with freshly cooked new rice is exceptionally delicious.
その先頭せんとうを泳およぐのが秋刀魚さんまです。塩焼しおやきを炊たきたての新米しんまいと一緒いっしょに食たべれば、格別かくべつのおいしさです。

In the Edo period, saury was regarded as a “low-class fish” eaten by common people, and it rarely appeared on the tables of samurai families. The oil taken from saury was also used as inexpensive fuel for andon lamps.
江戸時代えどじだい、秋刀魚さんまは庶民しょみんが食たべる「下魚げうお」とされ、武家ぶけの食卓しょくたくには上あがりにくい魚さかなでした。秋刀魚さんまから取とった油あぶらは、安価あんかな行燈あんどんの燃料ねんりょうにも使つかわれていたのです。

In classic rakugo, there is a story like this. One day, a lord grew hungry while out, was drawn by the savory smell of grilling saury in Meguro, and said he wanted to eat it.
古典落語こてんらくごには、こんな話はなしがあります。ある日ひ、出先でさきで空腹くうふくになった殿様とのさまは、目黒めぐろで秋刀魚さんまを焼やく香こうばしい匂においに誘さそわれ、食たべたいと言いい出だします。

His retainer tried to stop him, saying, “This is not a fish a lord should eat.” But the lord ate the piping-hot saury and was amazed at how delicious it was.
家来けらいは「殿様とのさまが口くちにする魚さかなではありません」と止とめますが、殿様とのさまは熱々あつあつの秋刀魚さんまを食たべ、そのおいしさに感動かんどうします。

Later, when the lord said he wanted to eat it again, his retainer ordered fresh saury from Nihonbashi, removed the bones and fat, steamed it, and turned it into an elegant dish.
後日ごじつ、殿様とのさまがもう一度いちど食たべたいと言いうと、家来けらいは日本橋にほんばしから新鮮しんせんな秋刀魚さんまを取とり寄よせ、骨ほねと脂あぶらを抜ぬいて蒸むし、上品じょうひんに仕上しあげます。

But the lord did not think it delicious at all. And then, a single line: “For saury, it has to be Meguro.”
しかし、殿様とのさまは少すこしもおいしいと思おもいません。そして一言ひとこと。「秋刀魚さんまは目黒めぐろに限かぎる」