Cormorant Fishing of Kintaikyo Bridge

Board a pleasureboat to watch Iwakuni’s traditional Cormorant Fishing Show on a summer evening.

Cormorant fishing is an ancient method of fishing ayu (sweetfish), which live in clear river waters. Its history is so long that it is mentioned in the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest historical document. Fishing is carried out on board a boat, under the light of a bonfire, and the cormorant fisherman and the cormorants act in unison, using hand ropes.
“Cormorant Fishing of Kintaikyo Bridge”, the classic summer scene in Iwakuni, is carried out in the clear waters of the Nishiki River, against the backdrop of Kintaikyo Bridge, one of Japan’s three most famous bridges. Although it was temporarily paused during its long 380-year history, the tradition was revived in 1952, and has been carried out ever since.
In the present day, Cormorant Fishing is conducted every year from June 1 to September 10, for the purposes of cultural preservation and tourism. You can board a pleasureboat and enjoy the sight of Cormorant Fishing while sampling local Iwakuni delicacies such as Iwakuni Sushi and salted grilled sweetfish.
The mystical scene of the cormorant fishermen skillfully handling the ropes to manage their cormorants, lit up by the bonfire on each cormorant boat under the summer night sky, with Kintaikyo Bridge in the backdrop, is like slipping back into a bygone era. The event can be enjoyed by all, from children to adults.