Kiso River Cormorant Fishing Shows
Date: Jun 1,2026(Mon) ～ Oct 15(Thu)
Available through advance reservations only
1,300 years of traditional fishing on the Kiso River waters
If there's one thing that makes Kiso River Cormorant Fishing culture famous today, it's how you can see every single second of it up close. Watch the cormorant boats work their magic before your eyes. A fire hanging at the front of the boat, which attracts the fish, is so close you can feel the warmth on your face and then the splash of water as the cormorants flap their wings and dive into the river.
Since 2003, afternoon expeditions began as the first such program in Japan to make the spectacle of cormorant fishing more readily available.
Fishing with cormorants is a traditional method of catching river fish used in Japan since antiquity. Boatmen and cormorant handlers cruise along the river with the handlers letting the birds jump into the water and prompting the birds with careful rope control to gulp up sweetfish and other river fish.
Kiso River cormorant fishing is a proud tradition—beginning more than 1,300 years ago—and Japan's oldest such culture. Hop aboard a sightseeing boat and watch the historic goings on with the illuminated nighttime national treasure of Inuyama Castle accenting the bon fire-bearing cormorant ships as they cruise down the river with expert handlers displaying their incredible skills before your eyes.
EVENT OVERVIEW
| Date | Gathering times • Afternoon Cormorant Fishing Light Plan: 12:15 pm • Afternoon Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: 11:00 pm • Night Cormorant Fishing Light Plan: 7:00 pm, Jun–Aug / 6:30 pm, Sep–Oct • Night Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: 5:45 pm, Jun–Aug / 5:15 pm, Sep–Oct |
|---|---|
| Place | Kiso River Cormorant Fishing Dock |
| Location | 〒484-0081 Outside 2 Kita-Hakusanbira, Inuyama, Inuyama-shi, Aichi |
| Fee | • Afternoon/Night Cormorant Fishing Light Plan: JPY 3,500 (JPY 4,500) for adults / JPY 1,750 (JPY 2,250) for children (4 years old–elementary school ages) Notes: • Meal fee not included in the prices above. • Prices in parentheses are for nights only, Aug 1– Aug 10. • Afternoon Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: JPY 6,000 for adults / JPY 4,200 for children (4 years old–elementary school ages) Note: • Meal fee included in the prices above. • Night Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: JPY 3,500 (JPY 4,500) for adults / JPY 1,750 (JPY 2,250) for children (4 years old–elementary school ages) Note: • Meal fee not included in the prices above. Overall notes: • Free of charge for children ages 3 and younger. • All prices are per person. |
| Parking | Available (approx. 25 passenger vehicle spaces) Note: • Unavailable for large-size vehicles such as buses. |
| Restrooms | Restroom breaks available with plans including a meal. |
| Phone number | 0568-61-2727 (Kisogawa Kanko Co., Inc. Available 9:30 am–4:00 pm, Mar–May and Oct 16–Nov 30 (weekdays only) and 9:30 am–5:30 pm, Jun–Oct 15.) |
| Time required | • Afternoon Cormorant Fishing Light Plan: 1 hr. 20 min. • Afternoon Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: 2 hr. 30 min. • Night Cormorant Fishing Light Plan: 1 hr. 15 min. • Night Cormorant Fishing Onboard Meal Plan: 2 hr. 30 min. |
Note: This page may not be current due to update time differences between site databases.
Should accuracy be critical, please verify this information using a direct source, whenever possible.
ACCESS
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- Access by public transport
- 3-min. (170-m) walk north from Inuyama Yuen Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line (board the train bound for Inuyama from Meitetsu Nagoya Station).
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- Access by car
- • Approx. 20 min. (13.1 km) northwest from Komaki-Higashi Interchange on the Chuo Expressway via Routes 49, 461, and 185.
• Approx. 25 min. (11.1 km) north from either Komaki-Kita Interchange on the Nagoya Expressway R11 Komaki Route or Komaki Interchange on the Meishin Expressway / Tomei Expressway via Routes 41 and 27.
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INFORMATION ON THE SURROUNDING AREA
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