The practice of "live sushi" involves cutting apart and then eating a frog, fish, lobster, shrimp, squid or octopus while it is still alive. This practice is a 2,000-year-old Asian tradition known as "ikizukuri."
Ikizukuri is most closely translated as "prepared alive." This dish is prepared by filleting the meat from bottom half of the animal and decoratively laying it on the top half, while it is still alive and moving. The poor creature is then quickly consumed.
The fact that this practice is traditional and ancient does not make it any less cruel to the animals who are cut up, stripped of their skin, and served up alive, or nearly so, to curious and "adventurous" foodies visiting Japan.
"Live sushi" is disturbing to think about and even more horrifying to watch as it is prepared and eaten. The video at the link below is graphic, but you need to see it:
Frog Prepared as Live Sushi
Please sign this petition and urge Japan's ambassador to the United States, Kenichiro Sasae, to take action to end this inhumane delicacy in his country.
Dear Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae:
The undersigned individuals respectfully ask you to please take action to stop the cruel practice of "live sushi" (or ikizukuri) in Japan. Slicing a poor creature such as a frog, a fish or a lobster apart and then consuming it while it is still alive or dying on the dinner plate is unnecessarily inhumane.
Some traditions deserve to reconsidered, and this is one of them. Thank you for your consideration of this request!
