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"Cormorant Fishing" refers to a traditional fishing method that utilizes cormorants to catch fish. Cormorant fishermen skillfully control the birds using hand ropes on "cormorant boats," with up to 12 hand ropes being used simultaneously. The hand rope is the connection between the cormorant and the fisherman. Tourists can take sightseeing boats to closely observe the fishermen's skilled techniques and the seamless cooperation between them and the cormorants.
Historical documents from the Shosoin mention fishermen in Mino Province (now Gifu Prefecture) who relied on cormorant fishing for their livelihoods. The cormorant fishing activities on the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture have a history of over 1,300 years and have been a beautiful summer sight in Gifu since ancient times. It is recorded that Ashikaga Yoshinori, the sixth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, visited the Nagara River to watch cormorant fishing.
During the period when Oda Nobunaga ruled Japan, cormorant fishing was further elevated as a "captivating performance." It is said that Nobunaga invited guests to watch cormorant fishing and treated them to sweetfish. In the Edo period, cormorant fishing was protected by various shoguns, and three areas along the Nagara River were designated as exclusive cormorant fishing grounds for the imperial family.
Cormorants are birds that are easy to befriend and can be easily domesticated. Fishermen take advantage of the cormorants' ability to temporarily hold captured fish in their throats and their habit of regurgitating prey when escaping, making them excellent helpers in fishing. It is said that sweetfish caught by cormorants die instantly, allowing their flesh to remain in optimal condition. The sweetfish caught using this ancient fishing method is considered a luxurious high-end ingredient.
