![Unleashed cormorant fishing tour](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180601_280d367f_w1920.jpg)
Unleashed cormorant fishing tour
People have practice cormorant fishing on the Uji River since the Heian era (784 to 1185), where it passes by Uji City. It is currently carried out from July to September, and is a familiar part of the poetic scenes of summer in Uji. The "sea cormorant" birds used in the activity are quite high-strung, and will never lay eggs in captivity. However, in the spring of 2014, the first sea cormorant eggs were laid incidentally by a cormorant pair that fished the Uji River, and Japan's first artificially fertilized sea cormorant was born. The cormorant born was named "Woody the Umi-u" (Woody the Sea Cormorant) by popular vote. In free cormorant fishing, the birds are released without the typical lead rope (a 4-meter rope connecting the bird and its master) and go fishing, coming back when their masters call for them. The trust between "Woody the Umi-u" (born through artificial fertilization) and his compatriots and masters has produced Japan's only "free cormorant fishing" team.
Photos
![Cormorant fishing](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180631_008c8732_w640.jpg)
Cormorant fishing
![A cormorant fisherman and Woody the Umi-u](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180636_cda6bded_w640.jpg)
A cormorant fisherman and Woody the Umi-u
![A cormorant letting go of the fish it caught](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180639_152d8a6d_w640.jpg)
A cormorant letting go of the fish it caught
![The cormorant chick born through artificial fertilization](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180645_18a44d7f_w640.jpg)
The cormorant chick born through artificial fertilization
![The chick growing up](/kansaiguide/data/directory/22000/21472/20240219_180648_1c57ab46_w640.jpg)
The chick growing up
Information
- Minimum Number of Passengers
- 10
- Maximum Capacity
- 30
- Meeting and Exchange Areas
-
Ocha to Uji-no-machi Historical Park
203-1 Todo Maruyama, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture - Open Period
- Closed on certain days
- Closed Period
- Held May, June, October and November
- Meeting Times and Business Hours
- Starting at 10:30 AM
- Tour Schedule
- (1) Meet at Ocha to Uji-no-machi Historical Park at 10:30 AM, (2) Cormorant demonstration at 10:45 AM (Chazuna Conference Room) / Free cormorant fishing tour (Taiko levee), (3) Experience ends at 12:00 PM
- Required Time
- Around 1.5 hours
- Provision of Meals
- Meals are not provided
- Parking
- Yes
- Notes
- Full rentals also available for Uji River cormorant fishing (July to September)
- Related websites
- https://www.kyoto-uji-kankou.or.jp/hanachi-ukai.html
Map
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