In her book Dr. Taneko Suzuki shows us how a modern fish processing industry, using complex technology, has evolved from the traditional methods of fish preparation long in use in Japan. With only a small proportion of arable land for growing food the Japanese have always looked to the sea and fortunately have been blessed with a rich and varied aquatic fauna. Over the ages the Japanese have learnt not only how to make maximum nutritional use of their marine resources, but also how to present them as attractive food items. As a result the visual impact and organoleptic properties of the vast array of fishery products make Japanese cuisine one of the most exciting in the world. In addition, the Japanese have developed a strong tradition of quality, whether for the small quantities offish used in the past to add interest to a monotonous rice diet, or for the larger quantities of raw and cooked products required by today's affluent society. The growth of the Japanese fishing industry paralleled the phenomenal industrial developments of the post-war years. It continued until Japanese fleets were in action all over the world, trying to satisfy the demands of a booming economy for high quality fishery products. All the time technology was being developed to make use of unusual species as raw material for traditional products.