Ukai is a traditional Japanese method of river fishing that uses birds called cormorants (u in Japanese). It is primarily used to catch ayu (sweetfish) and is said to date back to the Nara period (8th century). Held on summer nights, ukai has become a seasonal tradition and a popular tourist attraction. Some of the most famous locations include the Nagara River (Gifu), Kiso River (Aichi and Gifu), and Uji River (Kyoto).

The “u” used in ukai are Japanese cormorants (Phalacrocorax capillatus), a migratory bird that visits Japan from fall to winter. These birds have expandable throat pouches like pelicans, allowing them to store caught fish. The person who controls the birds from the boat is called a usho (鵜匠, master cormorant fisher). On the Uji River, there are three female ushō, a rare sight. They wear traditional attire such as the kazaori-eboshi (a type of ceremonial hat) and koshimino (a straw waist skirt).

In the evening, the ushō ties a rope around each cormorant’s neck and releases them into the river. Attracted by the light of burning torches (kagaribi) on the boats, fish gather, and the birds dive to catch them. The rope around the birds’ necks prevents them from swallowing the larger fish, so the ushō retrieves the catch directly from the bird’s mouth. While the cormorants can’t eat the fish they catch, they are cared for and trained closely by their handlers.

This unique practice has even inspired several Japanese idioms:

• “Ukai no u” (鵜飼の鵜): Refers to a person being used by others, with no freedom of their own.
  Example: “He always does whatever his boss says — like a cormorant in ukai.”

• “Unomi ni suru” (鵜呑みにする): Means to accept something without questioning or thinking it through.
  Example: “Don’t believe everything you read online — don’t just swallow it whole.”

• “U no me taka no me” (鵜の目鷹の目): Describes looking around very attentively, like a hawk or a cormorant.
  Example: “She scanned the shop with sharp, watchful eyes.”

These expressions still live on in modern Japanese, showing how ukai has left a mark beyond just fishing.

From a sightseeing boat, you can enjoy an up-close view of the event, feeling the heat of the torches and witnessing the powerful coordination between the ushō and the birds. On the boat, guides often explain the practice in detail. When I visited the Uji River last year, I heard an interesting story from one of the ushō. Apparently, each cormorant has its own personality — some dive eagerly to catch fish, while others just float lazily on the surface trying to avoid work! Just like people, right?

The flickering torchlight, the sound of the river, and the graceful boats create a magical, nostalgic atmosphere. Ukai is a wonderful way to experience the depth of Japanese tradition on a summer night.

Ukai Viewing Seasons

• Nagara River (Gifu): May 11 – October 15

• Kiso River (Aichi & Gifu): June 1 – October 15

• Uji River (Kyoto): July 1 – September 30