Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which cormorants are used to catch river fish such as ayu (sweetfish). A fire is lit at the bow of a long, narrow boat to lure fish to the surface, while a single fisherman skillfully handles six to eight cormorants at once,
forcing them to regurgitate any fish they have swallowed. The practice has a 1,300-year history in Japan and has been carried out since ancient times in China and elsewhere—it is even said to have been introduced to Europe from East Asia. Today, cormorant fishing is practiced at 11 locations across Japan, keeping this piece of traditional Japanese culture alive in the modern age. The history of cormorant fishing on the Mikuma River in Hita stretches back roughly 400 years. It is said to have begun when a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi—the warlord who unified Japan during the Warring States period—who governed Hita invited a cormorant fisherman from Gifu, a city north of Nagoya long renowned for the practice, to perform it there. From the Edo period onward, river excursions became a popular pastime, with guests watching the fishing from traditional Japanese-style rooms aboard the boats. It is held each year from May 20th through the end of October.