The ban on serving raw beef liver at restaurants in Japan is a small victory for the bovine community. The question now is, will this cause a black market to fill the gap? Could mere cow tipping turn into liver-stealing? Will we have little yatai restaurants inside pastures with cows on display the way some sashimi restaurants have tanks of live fish? Go ahead, choose your cow liver.
Ironically, amid the ban on serving raw beef liver, we have also received news that Japan has fallen to 25th place globally in the area of "innovation." If raw beef liver isn't innovative, what is? Obviously "innovation" doesn't include Japan's voluminous menu of adventure foods.
But while raw beef liver has been targeted for the ban, other life-threatening adventure foods continue to be served daily in Japanese restaurants. The most obvious example is fugu (puffer fish) which, if not prepared properly, can kill you. As a result, you can choose to go to a restaurant with a certified fugu chef. So why not just have special raw liver chefs?