noun
sashimi prepared from live fish, arranged in its original shape
A traditional Japanese dish where a fish is filleted and served so quickly that it still appears alive, often presented with the head and tail intact to recreate the fish's original form. Compare with 活け造り (いけづくり), which is similar but may involve keeping the fish alive in water before preparation.
See also: 活け造り
この店の活き造りは、鯛が今にも動き出しそうなほど新鮮だ。
The 活き造り at this restaurant is so fresh that the sea bream looks like it might start moving any second.
活き造りを注文すると、板前が目の前でさばいてくれる。
When you order 活き造り, the chef prepares it right in front of you.
Variant using 生き for 'alive'.
Uncommon variant using 生 for 'alive'.
活け造り often refers to sashimi from fish that were kept alive in a tank until preparation, while 活き造り emphasizes the fish being prepared while still alive and served immediately. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but 活き造り highlights the speed and freshness.
刺身 is the general term for sliced raw fish, while 活き造り is a specific style where the fish is prepared live and arranged to look alive.
Compound of 活き (iki, 'alive, living') + 造り (tsukuri, 'making, preparation'). The reading いきづくり is a rendaku form of つくり.