Can you believe this pufferfish was raised in landlocked Tochigi? A product of regional revitalization project in Nakagawa-machi, these fish are literally raised in hot spring water. The hot spring in Nakagawa-machi had similar salinity to normal salt water, so project sought to raise Japanese Pufferfish in it. The pufferfish became the symbol of the town, and some people are even said to have raised statues of it around town!

The project came to life looking for ideas that would get the people living Nakagawa interested in their town again and to attract new people to come live in the town. And so, the town suffering from depopulation due to declining birth rates and an aging population managed to become a tourist hit branding itself as the "Hot Spring Pufferfish Town". Having become a local specialty, it currently supplies pufferfish to over 100 restaurants and inns within Tochigi. The unique idea of combining the local hot springs and pufferfish brought success to this once faltering region.