A Japanese delicacy

In Japan, the new school year begins in April, and to welcome the new teachers and say farewell to those transferring schools or retiring, we have enkais, or work parties. This year I went to a smaller party for the young teachers last Friday, and the main event for the whole school on Wednesday. On Friday, we went to a small izakaya (japanese-style bar) and then for karaoke. The food was typical fried Japanese bar food, with one exception: chicken sashimi.

That's right, raw chicken breast. It came with wasabi and soy sauce for dipping, and the other teachers were thrilled to eat it. I, on the other hand, was wary. I had heard about chicken sashimi from an American friend who had eaten it twice in Matsusaka and ended up in the hospital both times. The Japanese people he was with ate it and didn't get sick, and every Japanese person I've asked has told me that they love chicken sashimi and think I'm weird for being worried about it. I didn't eat it on Friday, and later I did some research. It seems that the chicken that is used for sashimi is Nagoya Cochin or a similar breed, with very strict breeding conditions. However, the fact that my friend got sick while the people he was with didn't, makes me wonder if Japanese people are less susceptible to salmonella. Next time I'm offered chicken sashimi, I may give it a try... and hope for the best.