Japan is the world's biggest importer of Norwegian wild mackerel, and on Friday received the season's first batch of the fish. It was served up as sushi at a Tokyo event.

Last year Japan directly imported 63,000 tons of mackerel from Norway, or about half the total catch.

Each year the fish are airlifted to Japan within about 60 hours after being caught.

About 1,500 kilograms arrived at Haneda Airport on Friday morning and were served the same day at a seafood festival at the Tokyo Skytree.

A woman who was visiting with her son said the fish was fatty, fresh and delicious.

Johan Kvalheim, counsellor at the Fisheries Section of the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, said: " We see that the mackerel is bigger and bigger and then if the fish is bigger, its more fatted. And those two conditions give an extraordinary taste to the mackerel. So for this year, you really should go out and try them."

About 20 tons of the Norwegian fish are scheduled to be airlifted to Japan over the next month. They will go on sale at supermarkets and other stores across the country.