Some restaurants in Hakata stopped serving Hakata specialty dish, “sesame mackerel” due to increase in number of the parasite Anisakis. Possible cause for the increase maybe rising seawater temperatures and changes in ocean currents

"Goma Saba”, raw sesame mackerel sashimi mixed with sesame, green onions, and sweet soy-based sauce has long been a Hakata specialty disk. The dish, however, is now at risk due to increased number of parasite Anisakis. Traditionally, Anisakis found in Japan Sea mackerel remained in the fish’s innards, making raw consumption relatively safe. However, warming waters and shifting ocean currents appear to have increase mackerels with type of Anisakis in muscle tissues. This has significantly increased the risk of infection from eating raw mackerel.

Cases in Fukuoka jumped from just four in 2015 to more than fifty in 2023, with the prefecture now accounting for about 10% of all cases nationwide. Experts warn that the spread of the parasite is also being observed in Toyama and Fukui prefectures.