Things To Do in Nagoya

In Nearby Inuyama City -- Inuyama City has several worthwhile attractions, so you might want to come for a day of sightseeing and, in summer, top it off with cormorant fishing . The Inuyama Tourist Information Center, in Inuyama Station (tel. 0568/61-6000; www.city.inuyama.aichi.jp), is open daily 9am to 5pm. To reach Inuyama, take the Meitetsu rapid limited express from Meitetsu Nagoya Station (beside Nagoya Station) 25 minutes to either Inuyama Station (fare: ¥540) or one stop farther to Inuyama Yuen Station (fare: ¥590).

Note: There are no specific addresses because addresses in smaller Japanese cities do not give exact street addresses. However, everyone will know where these attractions are.

Watching Cormorant Fishing

There are two places near Nagoya where you can watch cormorant fishing every night in summer (except during a full moon or the 2 or 3 days following a heavy rain). In this ancient, 1,300-year-old Japanese fishing method, trained ukai (seabirds) dive into the water in search of ayu, a small Japanese trout. At nightfall, wooden fires are lit in suspended cages at the fronts of long wooden boats to attract the ayu, whereupon leashed cormorants are released into the water. To ensure that the cormorants don't swallow the fish, the birds are fitted with neck rings.

In Inuyama, cormorant fishing takes place on the Kiso River from June to mid-October. Spectators can board wooden boats departing from 6 to 8pm June to August, or 5:30 to 7:45pm September and October to observe the spectacle firsthand. While waiting for the full darkness that must descend before the fishing takes place, you can dine on obento box meals for ¥2,500 or ¥3,500, which you must order at least 2 days in advance, or you can bring your own food and drink onboard with you (beer and soft drinks are also sold before boarding). In any case, the actual fishing itself occupies only 20 minutes, so board one of the earlier boats to make it worthwhile. Call Kigo Gawa Kanko (tel. 0568/61-0057) to make reservations and then pick up your tickets at its ticket office near the bridge (located about a 5-minute walk from Inuyama Yuen Station). Tickets for boarding the boats and watching the fishing cost ¥2,500 for adults and ¥1,250 for children in June and September to mid-October, ¥2,800 and ¥1,400 respectively in July and August. Alternatively, though it's not traditional, you can also watch cormorant fishing during the day, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with boats departing from 11:30am to 1:45pm and costing ¥3,800 for adults and ¥2,900 for children, including lunch.

The city of Gifu features cormorant fishing from mid-May to mid-October on the Nagaragawa River, where you can view the entire spectacle aboard a small wooden boat. To reach Gifu, take either the Meitetsu train or the JR train from Nagoya to Gifu Station (20 min.; ¥540). From there, take a bus (¥200) 16 minutes to Nagara-bashi, where you'll see the ticket office for the Gifu City Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office (Gifu-shi Ukai Kanransen Jimusho; tel. 058/262-0104). To be assured a place, reservations should be made in advance. Tickets cost ¥3,300 for adults and ¥2,900 for children for the 6:15pm boarding every day and weekend boardings at 6:45pm and 7:15pm. On weekdays, the 6:45 and 7:15pm are ¥3,000 for adults and ¥2,600 for children. Note that you are advised to bring your own snacks or meal and drinks, as there is no place to purchase them at the boat office. Cormorant fishing begins around 7:45pm. For more information, go to www.gifucvb.or.jp.