NARITA, Chiba -- The Omotesando approach to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, bustled with customers from early in the morning on July 26, this year's "Doyo no Ushi no Hi," or midsummer Day of the Ox.

People in Japan traditionally eat eel on this day to help build stamina to endure the summer heat. The street is lined with restaurants specializing in eel dishes.

At the long-established eel restaurant Kawatoyo Honten, which was founded as a freshwater fish wholesaler in 1910, customers began gathering before 8 a.m. for numbered tickets. The restaurant opened 30 minutes early, at 9:30 a.m.

The kitchen operated at full capacity as employees divided up the work, preparing plump eels and grilling them until tender, while generously coating them with a sweet and savory sauce.

According to the restaurant, the number of customers has increased as temperatures have risen since the end of the rainy season. It prepared 1,500 servings for the day, more than twice the usual number.

A man in his 50s from Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, who visited the restaurant with his wife, said, "We thought we might as well come on the Day of the Ox, so this was our first time doing so. The eel was as delicious as always, and I feel like I have even more energy now."

(Japanese original by Tsukimi Goda, Narita Bureau)