BAD PHARMACYcurrently outside the Japan top 100
ジビエのバッドを考える
While planning a live tour, the BAD PHARMACY (バッドファーマシー) hosts found themselves deep in conversation about exotic foods in each tour city, sparked by a tip that a restaurant in Nagano legally serves monkey meat. The episode covers the legality, specialty restaurants, and taste of game meat and unusual ingredients—from crow to semi-transparent bear. It closes with a live on-air tasting of kurumimochi, a one-day shelf-life confection from a Sakai, Osaka shop founded in 1329, and a candid talk about why receiving gifts can go so wrong.
What this episode answers
Can crow and monkey be eaten legally in Japan?
Monkey's legality still needs confirmation; crow is presumed to be imported at restaurants because it likely falls under Japan's Wildlife Protection Act, and sparrow is assumed the same.
Which gibier ingredient do the members recommend most?
Hirose (広瀬) instantly named duck, praising the overwhelming sweetness of its fat; Taitan (タイタン) said he loves gibier broadly and has eaten crow, rabbit, duck, bear, and pigeon.
Where are the specialty restaurants that serve insects and exotic ingredients?
Ant Cicada (アントシカーダ) in Asakusabashi is known for cricket ramen; Kome to Circus (米とサーカス) in Takadanobaba has an extensive insect menu; and Terakoya (テラコヤ) in Kabukicho serves bear, deer, and pigeon.
What does the 'kurumi' in kurumimochi actually refer to?
'Kurumi' comes from the verb kurumu (包む, 'to wrap'), not from walnuts (胡桃); the filling is a greenish paste similar to zunda, and the look is close to white oshiruko.
Why is giving gifts or handmade food so difficult?
A mismatch in timing and circumstances is the core problem, illustrated by being handed handmade scones while drenched in sweat after a live show; the group also explored a psychological barrier around homemade food that they called 'a matter of perception.'
The Tour Plan That Started with 'Eating Monkey in Nagano'
While mapping out a BAD PHARMACY live tour, talk quickly drifted to eating adventures in each city. The catalyst was Hirose's tip that a restaurant in Nagano legally serves monkey meat. The group debated whether monkeys might be classified as pests, but they landed on a shared philosophy—'a life where you eat is better than a life where you don't'—and exotic-ingredient eating became an unofficial tour mission. The monkey discussion escalated into a hypothetical: would you rather eat a dog or a monkey? The punchline—that monkeys are too close to humans, making it practically cannibalism—got a big laugh.
Gibier Preferences—From Crow to Translucent Bear Meat
Taitan declared himself a devoted gibier fan, rattling off crow, rabbit, duck, bear, and pigeon as things he has eaten. Crow generated the most curiosity: the fact that it is 'black all the way through to the inside' was a recurring point, and questions arose about whether it falls under Japan's Wildlife Protection Act. The working conclusion was that crow and sparrow served at restaurants are most likely imported. Taitan also recounted eating bear meat that was gelatinous and semi-transparent in appearance yet tasted 'exactly like beef jerky,' which delighted the room. Hirose admitted amphibians are a weak spot—frogs are fine, but axolotl (ウーパールーパー) is a step too far.
Specialty Restaurants for Exotic Ingredients
Several restaurants were named. Ant Cicada (アントシカーダ), described as a high-end restaurant in Asakusabashi, is best known for its cricket ramen. Kome to Circus (米とサーカス) in Takadanobaba has a wide insect-focused menu. Terakoya (テラコヤ) in Kabukicho serves bear, deer, and pigeon among other game. Shinjuya (珍珠屋) frequently comes up in photo searches for axolotl dishes. An Instagram search for monkey pulled up an image captioned 'grilled salt monkey,' and restaurants serving crocodile and rat were also mentioned in passing.
Duck Is the Best Gibier, and Niigata Gets Added to the Tour
When asked for their single top gibier pick, Hirose answered without hesitation: duck. The sweetness of the fat is unmatched, and truly fresh Japanese duck has an extremely short season. The question 'why is kamo-nanban soba served all year round?' led to an explanation that soba restaurants offer it year-round even though genuinely seasonal duck is available for only a brief window. Hirose spoke about a duck specialty restaurant in Niigata he is determined to revisit, and Niigata quickly surfaced as a candidate for an additional tour date. The conversation touched on Japan's culture of travelling purely for food—bullet-train trips to Tottori for crab, or to Kanazawa for sushi—before settling on a verdict: 'going to Niigata specifically for duck is the most distinguished food pilgrimage of all.'
One-Day Shelf Life: Kurumimochi and the Problem with Gifts
Hirose brought in kurumimochi from Kanbukuro (缶袋), a long-established confectioner in Sakai, Osaka, founded in 1329. With a shelf life of just one day, the sweet is effectively impossible to use as a souvenir. Its white, oshiruko-like appearance surprised everyone when it appeared. They ate it on air and made a collective discovery: all of them had assumed 'kurumi' referred to walnuts (胡桃), but the name actually comes from the verb kurumu (包む), meaning 'to wrap.' The filling is a greenish paste similar to zunda, and everyone laughed sheepishly at the shared misconception.
The topic then shifted to the difficulty of giving gifts in general. One story involved a fan handing over handmade scones right after a live show, while the recipient was drenched in sweat—'my mouth was bone dry and the scones took every last drop of moisture.' The group worked through the psychological barrier around homemade food, eventually framing it as 'a problem of perception': a friend's onigiri wrapped tightly in plastic film to look like a store-bought product might actually be fine to eat.
Takeaways
- Crow and sparrow served at Japanese restaurants are likely imported due to the Wildlife Protection Act, while monkey's legality remains unconfirmed and requires further legal checking.
- Duck is the group's unanimous top gibier pick, and Hirose's enthusiasm for a Niigata duck specialty restaurant was enough to add Niigata as a potential tour date.
- The 'kurumi' in kurumimochi means 'to wrap,' not 'walnut'—a mistake everyone made—and the sweet from Kanbukuro in Sakai, founded in 1329, has a shelf life of just one day.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.