There are tourist attractions, and then there are things that make you feel like you've slipped through a crack in time. Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River — known as ukai (鵜飼) — is firmly in the second category. On summer nights from May through October, wooden boats drift down Gifu's Nagara River, their bows ablaze with bonfires called kagaribi. Standing at the helm of each boat is an usho — a master cormorant handler — dressed in traditional straw cape and headcloth, directing a team of sea cormorants on leashes to dive beneath the firelit surface and catch ayu (sweetfish).
This isn't a re-enactment or a heritage theme park. The Nagaragawa cormorant fishing is a living, working fishing method that has continued without interruption for over 1,300 years. The usho of the Nagara River hold the title of Imperial Household Agency Cormorant Fishermen — a designation that dates back to 702 AD. There are only six of them, and the position is hereditary. When you watch them work, you're watching something closer to a priesthood than a performance.
The 2026 Season
The season opens on May 11, 2026 and runs nightly (except during full moon periods and after heavy rain) through October 15. The opening night ceremony is particularly special — the usho perform ritual prayers before launching the first boats of the year. If you can time your visit for opening week, the atmosphere is electric.
Viewing boats depart from the riverbank near Nagaragawa Ukai Museum between 6:15 PM and 6:45 PM, depending on the month. The actual fishing begins after dark, usually around 7:30–7:45 PM. The entire experience — boarding, dinner on the boat, waiting for dusk, watching the fishing — takes about two and a half hours.
How It Works
Each usho handles 10–12 cormorants simultaneously, controlling them with hand-held leashes made of hemp rope. The birds dive into the dark water, attracted by the firelight that draws the sweetfish to the surface. A snare tied loosely around each bird's throat prevents it from swallowing large fish, which the usho retrieves by hand. Small fish pass through the snare — the bird's payment for its work.
The climax is the sou-garame — all six fishing boats line up side by side and sweep downstream together, driving fish into the shallows. The sight of six bonfires blazing in formation against the dark river, with dozens of cormorants diving and surfacing in the orange light, is genuinely unforgettable.
Booking a Viewing Boat
There are two ways to watch:
1. Viewing boat (屋形船): You board a flat-bottomed wooden boat and drift alongside the fishing boats. Most packages include a bento dinner and drinks. Prices range from ¥3,500 to ¥5,500 per person depending on the package. Boats accommodate 15–50 people; private charters are available for groups. Book through the Gifu City Cormorant Fishing Office (reservations open in January and popular dates sell out fast).
2. Riverbank viewing: Free. Walk along the south bank of the Nagara River near the Nagara Bridge. You won't be as close, but you'll still see the bonfires and the silhouettes of the boats. This is a perfectly good option if you're visiting spontaneously.
What Else to Do in Gifu
Gifu City has more depth than most visitors expect. Start with Gifu Castle, perched atop Mount Kinka — take the Kinkazan Ropeway up for panoramic views of the Nagara River valley, the city, and on clear days, the Japanese Alps. The castle was Oda Nobunaga's base during his campaign to unify Japan in the 1560s.
The Nagaragawa Ukai Museum is worth visiting before the evening fishing — it explains the history, techniques, and the surprisingly complex relationship between the fishermen and their birds. The cormorants are treated as family members, not tools, and the usho live with their birds year-round.
For food, try ayu — the sweetfish caught by the cormorants. Grilled whole on a skewer over charcoal (ayu no shioyaki), it's a delicate, slightly sweet river fish that tastes like clean water and mountain air. Restaurants along the Nagara River serve it fresh during the season.
Getting There
- From Nagoya: JR Tokaido Line to Gifu Station (about 20 minutes, ¥480). From Gifu Station, take a bus to Nagara Bridge (about 15 minutes, ¥220).
- From Tokyo: Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, then local train to Gifu. Total about 2.5 hours.
- From Osaka: Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, then local train. About 1.5 hours total.
The cormorant fishing embarkation point is a short walk from the Nagara Bridge bus stop. If you're driving, paid parking is available near the river.
Tips
- Book early. Weekend dates in May and the opening night sell out quickly.
- Bring layers. It's cooler on the river at night than you'd expect, even in summer.
- Full moon nights are off. The fishing relies on firelight attracting fish; a bright moon undermines it. Check the schedule before planning.
- Combine with Takayama. Gifu is a natural stopover between Nagoya and the Hida region. Add a night in Gifu to a Takayama/Shirakawa-go itinerary for something most tourists miss entirely.
Image: Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, Gifu, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
