Tako, the octopus

What it means

Octopus in English sounds like “oku-to-pasu” in Japanese: “put it down and you pass”. Octopus charms are sold everywhere during exam season, often in a little desk-sized pot.

Eight arms help too: eight is a lucky number in Japan, because the character 八 widens towards the bottom — like a future that keeps opening up.

And an octopus holds on. Its suckers stand for hanging on to luck — or to a place at university.

At the sushi counter

Tako nigiri is boiled octopus, tender and slightly chewy, often brushed with a sweet sauce or a pinch of salt and yuzu. Outside the sushi bar, Osaka’s takoyaki — octopus dumplings — are the famous street food.

Good to know

• The kanji 蛸 contains the radical for “insect” — old Chinese characters grouped many small animals together.
• Tako is boiled before serving; raw octopus (tako sashimi) is a regional speciality.
• Akashi, near Kobe, is Japan’s most famous octopus town.