Oze-Ukai, Japan's Oldest Cormorant Fishing and Purveyor to the Imperial Household

【OUTLINE】 

On this tour you will get an up-close look at a Japanese traditional fishing method with more than 1300 years of tradition.

【HIGHLIGHTS】

• Observe the traditional Japanese fishing method with a history of more than 1,300 years 
• One of the few cormorant fishing in Japan that has been used by the Imperial Household Agency for over 120 years 
• Watch how the master fishermen feed the cormorants and live with them like a family 
• Enjoy the sounds of nature created by traditional fishing, selected as oneof 100 soundscapes of Japan 
• Cormorant fishermen themselves teach you how to fish cormorants in English
  

【SCHEDULE】 

【DETAILS】

Ukai is a traditional fishing method making use of the natural fishing skills of cormorants. This fishing method has a long history, which has been practiced for over 1300 years. There are many cormorant fishing sites all over Japan, but only Oze-Ukai and Nagaragawa-Ukai are the most prestigious cormorant fishing serving as purveyors to the Imperial Household. Because of the great skills of the fishing masters, they have received the official title of “Cormorant Fishermen of the Imperial Household Agency,” and the cormorant fishing in Seki City is regarded as the best.
In this tour of Oze-Ukai, you can see the sophisticated traditional sound of boatmen rowing the boats, cormorants diving in pursuit of fish, and the calls of the boatmen guiding cormorants under the lights of bonfires in pitch darkness. The bonfires in total darkness are fantastic, and the sound of cormorant fishing in the silence has been selected as one of 100 soundscapes of Japan. 

After watching the cormorant fishing, visitors can also take a backyard tour to see how the cormorants are fed and hear the stories of the cormorant fishermen.
Visitors can learn more about the history of cormorants and their inherited culture.

【THINGS TO NOTE】 

• Time：100minutes
• Meeting point：Seki Yusen(Ukai Viewing Boat Office)
  76-3,Oze Sekicity,GIFU
• Access： 
  From Gifu Station, take a 80-minute Meitetsu Gifu Bus Expressway to Seki City Terminal, and then a 10-minute taxi from there to Seki Yusen (Ukai Viewing Boat Office)
  From Nagoya Station, take a 80-minute Meitetsu Gifu Bus Expressway to Seki City Terminal, and then a 10-minute taxi from there to Seki Yusen (Ukai Viewing Boat Office).         
• Language support： Japanese,English
• Included ：Cormorant Fishing Viewing, Cormorant Fishing Facilities Backyard Tour
• Excluded：Taxi fare
• Participation requirements：Admission free for children under 3 years old.
• Free Wi-Fi：◯
  
• Toilet：◯ (Western-style)
• Other things to note：
  ・Please arrive at the Ukai Viewing Boat Office at least 20 minutes before your boarding time
  ※Please note that embarkation times vary depending on the time of year.
  May 11 - June 30, around 18:50; July 1 - August 31, around 19:00; September 1 - October 15, around 18:40
  ・Children under 3 years old are free of charge, but please make sure to register the number of people on board in order to keep track of the number of people on board before making a reservation.
  ・Please try not to suddenly get up or move while viewing the cormorant fishing from a closer place.
  ・Due to rising water, turbulence, or strong wind this tour may be canceled. In case of cancellation a full refund will be made.

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

7 to 4 days before the tour date 40% of the tour price
3 to 2 days before the tour date 60% of the tour price
The day before the tour date, on the day of the tour 100% of the tour price
※Right after the online settlement is made, a cancellation fee of 10% will be incurred in case of cancellation.
※The cancellation fee includes handling charges.