[Approximately 3 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen + express train] Salmon fishing using traditional fishing methods begins in Murakame City, Niigata Prefecture.

Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, a city that values salmon

A statue of Aoto Buheiji in Murakame City Salmon Park

Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture has prospered since ancient times thanks to the salmon that swim up the rivers. As far back as the Heian Period, the Engishiki, a book compiled during that period, records that salmon were presented to the Imperial Court from Echigo Province, and it is said that some of these salmon were caught in Murakami. During the Edo Period, the world's first successful natural hatching and propagation of salmon was achieved in Tanegawa, a tributary of the Miomote River. The achievements of Aoto Buheiji, a Murakami samurai who devoted himself to this project, are still talked about to this day.

Salmon culture takes root in Murakami

The salmon is cooked and eaten deliciously, including the bones, fins, skin, and innards. It is said that there are more than 100 salmon dishes handed down in Murakami.

Murakami City has also developed its own unique culture in terms of language and cuisine. In the Murakami dialect, salmon is called "iyoboya," with "iyo" meaning fish and "boya" meaning fish, so salmon means "the fish among fish." There are said to be over 100 types of salmon dishes, including "Shiobikizake" and "Sake-no-sakabitashi." Everything from the head to the internal organs and fins is cooked and not thrown away, and the life of the salmon is cherished when it is eaten.

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Salmon fishing using the traditional fishing method "Iguriami fishing" takes place in the Miomote River that runs through Murakami City (usually from October 21st to the end of November).

Salmon fishing takes place in the rivers of Murakami City every year from late October to December. On the Miomote River, you can see "Urai fishing," where salmon are caught using a fence called an Urai; "Iguriami fishing," where salmon are caught in a net using a riverboat; and "Tenkara fishing," where salmon are hooked on a large crochet hook and pulled up. Of these, Iguriami fishing is a traditional fishing method that can only be seen on the Miomote River. Please come and see it.

Overview of the 2024 (Reiwa 6) Miwa River Iguriami Fishing

Implementation period
October 21, 2024 (Monday) - November 30, 2024 (Saturday)

Implementation time
Monday to Friday from around 9:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays: from around 9:00/from around 13:00

remarks
●The event will be held on the left bank of the Miwa River (Iyoboya Hall side).
●The test will be carried out 300 to 400 meters downstream from the extension line of the fence (urai).
*The fishing season may end early depending on the fishing conditions.
●We may not go out fishing in bad weather or when western winds blow.
Tours are free.

2024 (Reiwa 6) Seine fishing on Mimen River