Overview

Fishing using cormorants in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture, is a traditional fishing method passed down for over 450 years on the Basen River. It’s one of Japan’s unique cultural experiences, only experienced in the countryside far outside the big cities. The cormorant master, clad in a traditional black hat and straw skirt, skilfully manipulates several long ropes while the cormorants dive swiftly into the dark water to catch sweetfish. Skilled boatmen take you alongside the fishing boats so that you can witness the action. Before the fishing, we take you to visit the cormorants at home. Here the cormorant master shares the history of cormorant fishing, his relationship with the birds, the techniques of fishing, and the methods of raising and training the cormorants. Such is the care that the master lavishes on his birds that they live three times as long as cormorants in the wild. Seeing how things are done behind the scenes deepens your understanding of the trust between cormorant and human, and their remarkable coordination. You’ll see first hand the community’s commitment to preserving this valuable tradition.

Features

• Visit a traditional fisherman and his cormorants at home.
• See the town of Miyoshi with its confluence of rivers from high above.
• Enjoy a delicious meal with local sake on a covered boat.
• Watch cormorants fishing at night on the river.