There is a little fish that swims in the cleanest of rivers in Japan. It looks an ordinary fish; slim, silvery grey with gleams of gold. The largest is no bigger than an outstretched palm. It’s part of the salmon family and lives in fast-flowing rivers in central and southern Japan, in western Hokkaido and Kyushu.
More than the fact that its flesh is sweet and tastes like melon, the fish is deeply connected with the Japanese culture. Ayu, also known as Sweetfish, has been likened to the cherry blossom, heralding the arrival of summer just as cherry blossoms signify spring – or just as grilled hot dogs and hamburgers spell summer in the US.