Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture is the local government you donate to for this thank-you gift under furusato nozei (hometown tax donation program). The ingredient labeling on the listing says the unagi (eel) is from Kagoshima Prefecture. As for the place of processing, the listing’s explanation of why the item counts as a local product says it was processed into kabayaki within the city, while who the manufacturer is, and where, are not confirmed. The item covered here, “鹿児島県産 山田水産 霧島湧水鰻” (Kagoshima-grown 霧島湧水鰻 from 山田水産), is a thank-you gift for which you choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 frozen unagi kabayaki (eel grilled with a sweet soy glaze; vacuum-packed) fillets when you apply. We organized what the Rakuten listing and reviews state into five points: contents, shelf life, ingredient labeling, shipping and reviews. Two features can be confirmed on the listing: each 160g kabayaki fillet comes with the included sauce and sansho (Japanese pepper) for every fillet, and the shipping source and delivery time change depending on the number of fillets.
At a Glance
Key points
- You can choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 fillets. The current kabayaki is 160g per fillet, and the totals are 320g or more for 2, 480g or more for 3, 640g or more for 4 and 800g or more for 5. The included sauce and sansho come for every fillet
- It arrives frozen, and the best-before date is stated as 60 days or more frozen (2 and 5 fillets) or about 60 days from the shipping date (3 and 4 fillets)
- The shipping source and delivery time change with the number of fillets. The listing says 2 and 5 fillets ship from 山田水産株式会社 as early as the next day, and 3 and 4 fillets are delivered from 志布志市観光特産品協会 by the end of the following month after payment is confirmed
- Rated 4.72 on Rakuten (3,233 reviews). Viewed November 5, 2026. There are many reviews, and within what we read, comments on the plump meat, the size and ordering again stood out (weak point: a fair number of posts mention small bones)
Watch out for
- On small bones, the listing advises great care when children or people who are bothered by small bones eat it. It also says that each fillet is split by hand and the backbone removed, and that steaming softens the small bones, but that removing them completely is difficult
- The delivery date cannot be specified. The listing also says that cancelling a donation, changing the gift or returning it is not possible
- The contents were changed on October 9, 2026. Earlier reviews include posts about the old size (140g per fillet)
Suits: People who want to choose 2 to 5 fillets and receive frozen unagi kabayaki, and people who can allow some time before it arrives
The features and shipping guidance come from the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed November 5, 2026). The rating is Rakuten’s display (viewed November 5, 2026) and does not necessarily represent the current condition of the product. The review trends are within what we read: the first 60 reviews in Rakuten Customer Reviews’ default order (posted December 2025 to October 2026; latest October 25, 2026) and 30 each of the ★1 and ★2 reviews, 120 in total, and may not reflect the current condition of the product.
Compared with 3 Similar Furusato Nozei Unagi Kabayaki Gifts
| Product | Total Amount | Delivery Temperature | Rakuten Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山田水産 霧島湧水鰻 Unagi KabayakiThis article · Shibushi City | 320g or moreto 800g or more (2–5 fillets) | Frozen | 4.723,233 reviews |
| Kyushu Unagi Kabayaki (4 Fillets) + Chopped Unagi Kabayaki (1 Bag)Miyazaki City | 810g or more | Frozen | 4.814,982 reviews |
| Whole Unagi Kabayaki, 3–5 FilletsOsaki Town | 495g or moreto 800g or more (3–5 fillets) | Frozen | 4.651,323 reviews |
The comparison covers the 3 furusato nozei unagi kabayaki gifts featured on Ochinity (as of November 5, 2026). Each value is as of the date its own article was researched and may differ from the current listing. Ratings are Rakuten’s aggregate display and do not necessarily reflect the current condition of a product. The table is in Japanese syllabary (gojūon) order of the product names, with this article first. Product names link to each product’s article.
- For total amount, this gift is 320g or more (2 fillets) to 800g or more (5 fillets), Osaki Town is 495g or more to 800g or more, and Miyazaki City is 810g or more (4 fillets plus 1 bag of chopped unagi). All 3 arrive frozen
- Rakuten’s ratings are 4.72 (3,233 reviews) for this gift, 4.65 (1,323 reviews) for Osaki Town and 4.8 (14,982 reviews) for Miyazaki City
Basic Information
- Product name
- 鹿児島県産 山田水産 霧島湧水鰻 (Kagoshima-grown 霧島湧水鰻 from 山田水産), 160g per fillet
- Donation recipient / provider
- Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture (Rakuten Furusato Nozei) / Provider: 山田水産
- Amount
- 2 fillets: 320g or more / 3 fillets: 480g or more / 4 fillets: 640g or more / 5 fillets: 800g or more (160g per fillet)
- What you can choose
- Number of fillets (2, 3, 4 or 5). The shipping source and delivery time change with the number of fillets
- Storage
- Keep frozen, according to the listing
- Best-before date
- 2 and 5 fillets: 60 days or more frozen; 3 and 4 fillets: about 60 days from the shipping date, according to the listing
- Allergen labeling
- The listing says the specified allergen (specified raw material) is wheat, and the item equivalent to the specified allergens is soybean
- Donation amount
- Changes with the number of fillets you choose. Check the listing
- Shipping
- Frozen delivery. The listing says 2 and 5 fillets ship as early as the next day, and 3 and 4 fillets are delivered by the end of the following month after payment is confirmed. The delivery date cannot be specified
- Noshi / gifting
- Support for noshi (gift wrapping label), wrapping and message card is not confirmed
This list transcribes what is stated on the listing. However, the “not confirmed” labels and any notes we add are our own.
The ingredients say they contain soy sauce, wheat and soybean. If you have allergies, be sure to ask the provider before you donate, or check the label on the gift when it arrives (reference: Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan, “About Allergen Labeling”, viewed November 5, 2026).
See the transcribed details, sources and “not confirmed” items (18 items)
This list transcribes what is stated on the listing. However, the “not confirmed” labels and any notes we add are our own.
- Product name
- 鹿児島県産 山田水産 霧島湧水鰻 <2, 3, 4 or 5 fillets> (160g per fillet) (furusato nozei)The product name shown on the Rakuten listing is a long string of search keywords. Only the product-name part is shown here. The listing includes an introduction to an experimental effort to make kabayaki from complete-cycle farmed (完全養殖) eel, but it states clearly that this gift is not made from complete-cycle farmed eel.
- Amount
- The name is Kagoshima-grown unagi kabayaki (vacuum-packed). 2 fillets: 320g or more in total (160g × 2) / 3 fillets: 480g or more (160g × 3) / 4 fillets: 640g or more (160g × 4) / 5 fillets: 800g or more (160g × 5). In every case the included sauce and sansho come for every fillet. The number of servings is not stated: not confirmedSource: product description on the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- What you can choose
- Number of fillets: 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 filletsSource: options on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026). An image on the listing says the contents were changed on October 9, 2026; before that, the options were 3 fillets at 420g or more, 4 at 560g or more and 5 at 700g or more (140g per fillet). An image also says that the set with liver skewers (kimo-gushi) closed on September 18, 2026, and the current options do not include liver skewers.
- Donation amount
- Differs depending on the number of fillets you choose. The amount can change, so it is not given in this article. Please check it on the Rakuten listingSource: options on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Ingredients / allergen labeling
- Kabayaki: unagi (from Kagoshima Prefecture), soy sauce (contains soybean and wheat), sugar and isomerized liquid sugar blend, fermented seasoning, starch syrup, sugar, unagi extract (contains soybean and wheat). Additives: alcohol, thickener (modified starch, thickening polysaccharides), seasoning (amino acids, etc.), coloring (caramel, annatto). Included sauce: soy sauce (contains soybean and wheat), sugar, starch syrup, mirin, fermented seasoning, corn starch, unagi extract (contains soybean and wheat). Included sansho: sansho. For allergens, the listing says the 7 specified allergens (specified raw materials) are wheat, and the 21 items equivalent to the specified allergens are soybeanSource: product description on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Storage method
- Keep frozen, according to the listing. The storage temperature is not confirmedSource: product description on the listing
- Best-before date
- The listing says 2 and 5 fillets: 60 days or more frozen, 20 days chilled; 3 and 4 fillets: about 60 days from the shipping date, 20 days chilled. Whether the 20 days chilled refers to after thawing is not confirmedSource: product description on the listing
- Thawing method
- An image on the listing about warming describes thawing by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight, or by putting it on a plate, covering it with plastic wrap and leaving it at room temperature for 2 to 3 hoursSource: warming-instructions image on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Notes after opening
- The listing explains that, because unagi is a fish, it has small bones besides the backbone. Each fillet is split by hand and the backbone removed, and the small bones are softened by plain grilling and steaming, but because of individual differences, it says removing the small bones completely is difficult. It advises great care when children or people who are bothered by small bones eat it. It also says that the pigment may rarely separate and show pink or orange, which is not a quality problem. The shelf life after thawing is not confirmedSource: product description on the listing (notes before donating)
- Raw-material origin
- Unagi: stated as Kagoshima PrefectureSource: ingredient names on the listing
- Place of processing
- As the reason it counts as a local product, the listing says that unagi produced inside and outside the city is used and that it is processed into kabayaki within Shibushi CitySource: product description on the listing (reason it counts as a local product)
- Condition / how to eat (whether heating is required)
- It is frozen kabayaki, and the listing guides you to thaw and warm it before eating. The warming-instructions image says: in a toaster, skin side up until lightly browned; in a microwave, wrap the thawed unagi in plastic wrap and heat for about 1 minute at 600W or 1 minute 10 to 20 seconds at 500W. No guidance on whether it can be eaten raw was foundSource: warming-instructions image on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Delivery
- Arrives by frozen delivery. The delivery date cannot be specified, and the listing says to write any days you are away in the remarks field when ordering. It says cancelling a donation, changing the gift or returning it is not possibleSource: product description and shipping notice image on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Shipping time
- The listing says 2 and 5 fillets ship as early as the next day, and 3 and 4 fillets are delivered by the end of the following month after payment is confirmed. The shipping notice image says the delivery time varies with when you donate, and that in some periods delivery is by the end of the month after next. The expected shipping date for each application date is not confirmedSource: options and shipping notice image on the listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Shipping source
- The listing says 2 and 5 fillets ship from 山田水産株式会社, and 3 and 4 fillets from 志布志市観光特産品協会. The address is not confirmedSource: product description on the listing
- Noshi / gifting
- No fields for noshi (gift wrapping label), wrapping or a message card were found in the gift-related section of the listing: not confirmedSource: listing (viewed November 5, 2026)
- Manufacturer
- 山田水産 is listed as the provider. An image in the product description is headed “山田水産 加工のこだわり” and explains its grilling room and grilling method, but it is not a manufacturer label; whether it is the manufacturer or processor, and its location, are not confirmedSource: product description and images on the listing
- Shop
- Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture (Rakuten Furusato Nozei)
Donation amounts differ by portal and by the size you choose, and may change. Please check the current donation amount and availability at the link above.
What Public Reviews Say
We organized Rakuten Ichiba product reviews by viewpoint. The rating figures are as of the time of viewing and may change afterward. The following are trends within what we read, and may not reflect the product’s current condition. Posts about 2 to 5 fillets are mixed together.
| Site | Rating | Reviews | Date viewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rakuten Customer Reviews (product page) | 4.72 / 5 | 3,233 reviews | November 5, 2026 |
Breakdown: ★5 2,632 / ★4 439 / ★3 67 / ★2 36 / ★1 59 (Rakuten Ichiba display; viewed November 5, 2026)
Range read: the first 60 reviews in the default order (posted December 2025 to October 2026; latest October 25, 2026), 30 of the 59 ★1 reviews (posted January 2024 to October 2026), 30 of the 36 ★2 reviews (posted July 2020 to October 2026), 120 in total. Of the ★1 reviews, 21 were posted within the last two years, and of the ★2 reviews, 8. The 60 in the default order lean toward posts from summer. These are trends within what we read and may not reflect the product’s current condition.
The counts below are approximate figures from our reading of the text, and do not include posts that were only about delivery or the store’s handling. The contents were changed on October 9, 2026 (previously 140g per fillet), so posts from before that are not necessarily about the current 160g fillet.
What Reviewers Praise
Plump, soft meat (about 19 of the 60 in the default order)
About 19 of the 60 reviews in the default order said the meat was plump and soft.
Size and volume (about 18)
About 18 of the 60 reviews in the default order said each fillet was large or generous in volume. Because the size differs before and after the change, it is not clear from each post whether it is about the current 160g fillet.
Ordering again (about 21)
About 21 of the 60 reviews in the default order said they had ordered again or order every year.
Source: Rakuten Customer Reviews (viewed November 5, 2026)
What Reviewers Note
Small bones are noticeable (34 of the 120 we read)
5 of the 60 in the default order, 11 of the 30 ★1 reviews and 18 of the 30 ★2 reviews mentioned small bones. Of these, 10 were posted within the last two years (since November 2024), and the ★2 posts are mostly from 2023 or earlier. On the other hand, the default order also includes posts saying the small bones were not noticeable.
How to check: the listing’s notes on small bones are summarized in the “Notes after opening” row of “Basic Information” in this article.
Slow to arrive / did not arrive in time for Doyo no Ushi no Hi (15 of the 120 we read)
11 of the 30 ★1 reviews, 3 of the 30 ★2 reviews and 1 of the 60 in the default order said it was slow to arrive or did not arrive in time for Doyo no Ushi no Hi (the midsummer day traditionally for eating eel). All of these were posted between July and October 2026.
How to check: the shipping guidance for each number of fillets is summarized in the “Shipping time” row of “Basic Information” in this article.
Thin or small meat (14 of the 120 we read)
4 of the 30 ★1 reviews, 7 of the 30 ★2 reviews and 3 of the 60 in the default order said the meat was thin or small. 7 of these were posted within the last two years.
How to check: the weight of each kabayaki fillet and the total (the “or more” wording) are summarized in the “Amount” row of “Basic Information” in this article.
Source: Rakuten Customer Reviews (viewed November 5, 2026)
Summary: Is This Thank-You Gift the One for You?
Why choose it: You want to choose from 4 options of 2 to 5 fillets, and you want to receive frozen kabayaki of 160g per fillet. If those two are your conditions, this thank-you gift meets them (weak points: a fair number of posts mention small bones, and the shipping source and delivery time differ by the number of fillets).
- Rakuten’s rating is 4.72 / 5 (3,233 reviews). Among the 60 reviews we read in the default order, many mentioned plump meat (about 19), size (about 18) and ordering again (about 21)
- The kabayaki is 160g per fillet, and the totals are 320g or more (2 fillets), 480g or more (3), 640g or more (4) and 800g or more (5). It arrives frozen, and the best-before date is stated as 60 days or more, or about 60 days
- The listing says 2 and 5 fillets ship as early as the next day, and 3 and 4 fillets are delivered by the end of the following month after payment is confirmed. The delivery date cannot be specified
Other options: If you would rather choose 3, 4 or 5 kabayaki fillets of 140 to 210g each, Whole Unagi Kabayaki, 3–5 Fillets (Osaki Town; 495g or more to 800g or more in total); if you would rather have 4 kabayaki fillets plus 1 bag of chopped unagi, totaling 810g or more, Kyushu Unagi Kabayaki (4 Fillets) + Chopped Unagi Kabayaki (1 Bag), Total 810g or More (Miyazaki City).
The basis for this section is the Rakuten Furusato Nozei listing and Rakuten Customer Reviews (viewed November 5, 2026). These are trends in the reviews we read and may not reflect the product’s current condition.
The page of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications explains that the deduction is applied to the income tax of the year in which furusato nozei is made and to the resident tax of the following fiscal year (source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “How Furusato Nozei Works: About Tax Deductions”, viewed October 7, 2026). The deduction amount and procedures differ from person to person, so please check with the Ministry, your local government, or the tax office.
Donation amounts, availability, and shipping times change. This article’s information-as-of date is November 5, 2026. Please be sure to check the listing at the link before you donate.
This article contains affiliate links (advertising). Editorial Policy
This article summarizes information published on furusato nozei listings and review sites. Product information such as quantity, storage method and ingredients may change. Please check the listing for the latest information.
Comments on taste or quality are summarized from third-party posts cited with their source, and are not Ochinity’s own evaluation. Our approach to writing articles is described in our Editorial Policy.
Information as of: November 5, 2026 / Sources: Rakuten Furusato Nozei “Shibushi City, Kagoshima” listing, Rakuten Customer Reviews, Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan “About Allergen Labeling”
