But the inhospitable depths of the Dotonbori hide a familiar creature: The river is home to Japanese eels, exactly the kind you would be served if you ordered unagi at a Japanese restaurant. Last year, the Research Institute of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, in the Osaka Prefecture, and the Mainichi Broadcasting System Television jointly announced the capture of 11 individuals in Dotonbori’s waters. It was the first record of live Anguilla japonica there.