Yellow-striped butterfish nigiri

Yellow-striped butterfish (Takabe)

【Nigiri sushi: Shiromi】
Yellow-striped butterfish (Labracoglossa argenteiventris, takabe) is available in limited supply and is not yet widely known throughout Japan. Although it was once commonly used as an ingredient in fish paste products, takabe is best enjoyed grilled with salt when in season, as this brings out its full flavor. If you can find a fresh one, we also recommend trying it as sashimi. With a history of consumption dating back to the Edo period, its rich fat content and excellent flavor have made it a quintessential summer delicacy in Tokyo.

As interest in takabe grows, a growing number of sushi restaurants have begun offering it as nigiri in recent years. To put it bluntly, although this fish was once considered an underutilized species, its rich fat content, comparable to that of kuromutsu and mehikari, may be one reason it is gaining attention as a sushi topping and appealing to modern tastes. After all, its high fat content is reminiscent of sanma, making the amount of salt used during preparation particularly important. While opportunities to try this fish remain limited outside sushi restaurants in the Kanto region, be sure to give it a try if you come across it. If you are particularly eager to taste it, why not visit the Izu Islands during the summer?

【What is Takabe】
Yellow-striped butterfish (Takabe) is distributed along the Pacific coast from central Honshu to Kyushu. The body length is 15~20 cm. Its body color is blue-brown with a yellow longitudinal band on its back.

【Related contents】
List of White flesh fish (Shiromi)

(Revision date: Novenber 6, 2026)