What Is Ukai?
Ukai is the ancient Japanese practice of trained cormorant fishing, in which fishermen (usho) use leashed great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) to catch ayu sweetfish in rivers at night. The practice has a documented history of over 1,300 years in Japan – the earliest reference appears in the Nihon Shoki (720 CE) – and was historically an important source of fish for aristocratic and imperial households. Today ukai is maintained as a cultural tradition and tourist experience at several river locations, formally protected as an Important Intangible Cultural Property and conducted by government-employed usho who maintain hereditary expertise in training and working with cormorants.
The mechanics of ukai are straightforward but extraordinary to witness. A wooden fishing boat (ubune) is propelled along the river by a pole at night, with a hanging basket of burning pine wood (kagaribi) at the bow providing light that attracts ayu to the surface. The usho, dressed in traditional costume including a sedge hat and hemp skirt, controls up to twelve cormorants simultaneously using individual leashes. A ring (taruki) tied around each bird’s neck prevents swallowing of larger fish while allowing small fish to be consumed as reward. After a period of diving and pursuit, the usho signals each bird to regurgitate the catch. The operation of twelve birds simultaneously in moving water at night, handled through leash and voice by a single person, is a remarkable demonstration of inter-species cooperation developed over a lifetime of practice.
Where and When to Watch
Ukai is conducted at several locations during the summer season (generally May through October, with specifics varying by site). The most celebrated and accessible locations for visitors are Gifu City on the Nagara River (the busiest site, with multiple boat operations per evening and strong tourist infrastructure) and Arashiyama in Kyoto on the Oi River (closer to urban Kyoto, somewhat more intimate scale). Both sites offer viewing from tourist excursion boats that follow the fishing boats during the evening session.
Other ukai locations include Uji City in Kyoto Prefecture, Inuyama in Aichi Prefecture (also on the Kiso River, considered among the more atmospheric settings), and Nihonmatsu in Fukushima Prefecture (one of the most northerly sites). Each location operates on a schedule determined by weather, river conditions, and operational calendars – ukai is cancelled on rainy nights and during high-water periods. Advance booking is strongly recommended at all sites, particularly Gifu and Arashiyama, where demand from domestic and international visitors frequently fills boats weeks in advance during peak summer.
The Evening Experience
A typical ukai viewing involves boarding a wooden excursion boat at dusk, often with dinner provided on board (bento or kaiseki-style meal depending on the operator and price tier). As darkness falls, the fishing boats appear upstream with their blazing kagaribi. The tourist boats follow at a respectful distance as the usho work their cormorants along the river, returning upstream after each run. The combination of firelight on water, the traditional costumes, the sound of splashing birds and the rhythm of the poles, and the darkness beyond the torchlight creates an atmosphere that is genuinely medieval in its sensory character – one of the most vivid historical immersion experiences available in contemporary Japan.