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5 men sickened after eating poisonous puffer fish

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To those who didn't get it, my comment re arrest & confession was a tongue in cheek sly on the "efficiency of the constabulary". Sorry.

But - the chef did act against the law, which is in place to stop people dying, so it's nothing to be flippant about.

A 5 day suspension of operation is really a joke.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"The city shut down the establishment for five days from Sunday"

The owner / manager and so-called chef(s) who served the poisonous stuff should be jailed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The article clearly states that the restaurant clearly refused, but it doesn't say anymore other than that, for example perhaps these guys threatened the chef or patrons, or restaurant itself, just not enough information other than the restaurant proceeded to serve them what they wanted. For me to place blame on the restaurant would mean I need more evidence as to what else happened before jumping to any conclusions and pointing the blame game other than what is known, clearly they knew it was banned items but demanded they get served, perhaps they had it coming

This is the downside to the 'customer is always right.' They chef was required to get a license to insure that he would not serve the poisonous parts, it is his professional responsibility to follow the rules (laws?) when serving the fish. If the customer is causing a scene, you don't need that customer.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The restaurant served the banned, poisonous parts after requests from the diners, the official said.

How dense can you get? This place should be shut down for good for indulging in such stupid suicidal requests!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Why is this news ? Stupid people doing stupid things.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why are you guys mad about the chef? The customers knew exactly what they were asking for and what they were getting themselves into. There's no need for the law to intervene here: The law of natural selection is doing it's own job perfectly as it is.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I actually like fugu quite a bit. It's pretty mild tasting, but fugu karage is delicious, and so is fugu nabe. Gogogo has a point, fugu sashimi really doesn't have much of a taste.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Who is the idiot eating something knowing it's dangerous and also paying for it? Cemeteries are full of those who wanted to show how "men' they are.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Well, I hope they find crapping their guts out, vomiting, and breathing difficulties as 'sophisticated' as the idiocy of eating fish parts that are banned because THEY CAN KILL YOU! Knowing idiots like these, though, they'll be bragging about it and wanting more served to their hospitals.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

never understood the popularity of this fish, being poisonous and expensive, and there are so many cheaper tastier and healthier fish available!?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The fish in the picture looks compassionate about their upset tummies.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I had fugu in Yokohama about 5 years ago, and despite the 10000 yen per plate price, I found the flavour rather disappointing. Some lenten fry wrapped in a Page 3 with salt & vinegar chips is much better.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

They are lucky they are not dead but they may be dead some time later. Liver and intestants and blood were eaten by people who succeeded to suicide. Years ago.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Tetrodotoxin leaves no after effects, if you survive the night you're scotch free.

the poison basically paralyzes your muscles for a dose dependent time and intensity. So if you consume too much of it and are not attended to you suffocate to death. Its actually a dual edged sword as its used for certain surgeries where moving organs are an obstacle.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

the 5 guys, what is that saying American's say "cruising for a bruising" or "you want it you got it" and indeed they brought this on themselves. The article clearly states that the restaurant clearly refused, but it doesn't say anymore other than that, for example perhaps these guys threatened the chef or patrons, or restaurant itself, just not enough information other than the restaurant proceeded to serve them what they wanted. For me to place blame on the restaurant would mean I need more evidence as to what else happened before jumping to any conclusions and pointing the blame game other than what is known, clearly they knew it was banned items but demanded they get served, perhaps they had it coming

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The northwestern tip of Wakayama is a great surf/beach spot. Go to the fishing town Kada and track down local versions of uni toast and shirasu gohan. Some varieties of fugu--there are dozens--can even be seen swimming in drainage canals in Kada town.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Eating Fugu is like having sex with a aids contaminated person using a condom. You never know when things will go wrong.

Not even close, and comparing them as well is in poor taste too.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The poison from fugu is a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin. It shuts down the nervous system. People who are poisoned by it can still see everything that's going on but they can't move. As the poison takes effect they go into cardiopulmonary arrest and die. It is a very powerful poison and each adult fish has enough poison to kill ten adults. The licensing system was introduced after the war when there was very little food in Japan and people were scavenging from garbage bins. Many people died after finding fugu scraps in the garbage and eating them. Nowadays, the poisonous portions are to be kept frozen and disposed of by the fish deliverer. It is illegal to place fugu scraps into normal garbage. But, this clown agreed to serve it to his customers? I don't know who is more stupid. The licencee or the fools that ate it.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Fugu tastes like nothing, its just a trill to eat nothing special.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Well, I wouldn't. It doesn't go cheap!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Do not even invite me to eat at a restaurant where fugu is served.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The restaurant chef should be arrested and sign a confession that he willfully broke the law and endangered the lives of fellow citizens.

Really? If they requested it, as long as he gave them a proper warning, I think it should be their fault.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Yup. The fins in nihonshu is called hirezake, it is delicious! sake with a deep smoky fishy flavour. I love fugu. It us usually served in a course and should be tried! You get fugu tempura, fugu nabe, then fugu sashimi with sudachi(type of citrus fruit) squeezed on it, and fugu shirako if in season, which are the balls, ovaries of the fish if you like lol may sound rough but is in fact creamy, the foie gras of the sea they call it.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

A bunch of idiots consenting to do something stupid. That said, regarding "What does poison do to your body? Well, it's a no-brainer..."

Well, people take poisons all the time. They usually call them drugs, though. In a sense, this is not really all that different from drug abuse. Ingesting a dangerous or harmful substance in exchange for momentary stimulation. Before going too hard on these dummies, it might be wise to first confirm that you are not a smoker, a heavy drinker, a risk seeker, or a recreational drug user. These 5 are hardly alone in their silly choices.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Best part of Fugu are the fins in Nihonshu.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The restaurant chef should be arrested and sign a confession that he willfully broke the law and endangered the lives of fellow citizens.

He should then pay for his misconduct with at least a few years in jail - enough time for him to repent.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I hope health insurance DOESNT cover this & these fools pay out of pocket!! Clearly the theory of Darwin is at work here!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Eating Fugu is like having sex with a aids contaminated person using a condom. You never know when things will go wrong.

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

What does poison do to your body? Well, it's a no-brainer...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

From personal experience, I've eaten fugu before. It's very tender, but extremely bony and mostly tasteless. It wasn't a bad experience outside of the "thrill" from eating something that could kill you in 30 minutes.

From what I've heard, fugu has somewhat of a cult following. There are some restaurants that leave a little bit of the poison in the fish so the diners can experience the numb feeling in their mouths. Perhaps this restaurant was one of those.

Based on this article, these men are lucky to have their lives. Fugu can kill easily, if not prepared correctly. I suppose that speaks to the level of skill the chef has (and what he doesn't - he can't stop the liver from not being poisonous, it's integrated in the pufferfish's system). However, he is mostly to blame, he should have been a professional and refused to serve these diners banned organs. The diners are partially to blame, as they asked for it.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Lucky this aint the Edo Jidia, or the chef who prepared the fish would be obligated to commit suicide in order to "save face."

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

The restaurant served the banned, poisonous parts after requests from the diners, the official said.

Diner: "Please give me a gun so I can kill myself"

Chef: "OK!"

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Well, what a surprise this is, not! They ate poisonous fish and got sick?

The license system was introduced by General Mac Arthur after WW2 to stop this happening. The thing tha gets me is, this so-called 'licensed' restaurant knowingly gave the customer poisonous portions of the fish and the only punishment he got was five days closure of his business? Unbelievable!

13 ( +14 / -1 )

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