Eel dishes are becoming more popular among Japanese consumers as the prices drop.

Summer is the best time to enjoy eel dishes, and it is a tradition for Japanese food lovers to treat themselves with eels. With fewer international travelers coming for fresh eels due to COVID-19, eel products are cheaper for local people, dropping by around 10 percent.

Shopping malls and supermarkets have prepared all kinds of eel dishes, looking to attract consumers keen to eat precooked eel dishes at home amid the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Matsuya Co.'s department store in the Ginza district of Tokyo ran a sales campaign that gives customers who purchased yukata casual summer kimonos a chance to get a free set of eel sushi.

Aeon Retail Co. offered extra-large kabayaki grilled eels that could be shared among several family members.

The Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd now has only half of its last year's customer flow, but the sales of bento products have rebounded to the level of the last year. 

"The operating of other departments in the store is still not optimistic. We hope that hot product like eel Bento will bring more customers and help restore the overall business situation," said Yukio Terao, Manager of the business department of Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd.