Harazuru

   An old photo of a cormorant fisher on the bank of the Mikuma River in Harazuru, Fukuoka Prefecture (in the southern part of the prefecture near the city of Hita). Note that the caption is written from right to left as was common before the Pacific War. Today it is far more common for captions to be written from the left, like English: 三隈川の鵜飼 (Mikuma Gawa no Ukai)

   An on-line guide to the Chikugo area says this about Harazuru: "This is the hot spring with the highest amount of hot water. The water is a bit thick, and the skin becomes smooth, making it popular as a spring for beauties." Any questions?

   In addition to the thick water of the Harazuru hot springs, you can also enjoy fishermen tease birds (literally yank on their chains) this time of year: also known as cormorant fishing. 

Keisai Eisen's woodblock print of cormorant fishing in the Edo period

Comments

[kayne]

still in practice in China. wasn't aware they did it in Japan. ... the poor cormorants, thinking they'll eat the fishies...

[Aonghas Crowe]

I have never seen it personally, but often hear people say they had just been. The thought of dining on regurgitated river fish has never really excited me, to be honest.