Held annually on the Nagara River in Gifu City from mid May to mid October, this cormorant fishing tradition boasts a history of more than 1,300 years and was originally practiced as a form of tribute fishing.

A cormorant master boards a boat with a fire basket mounted at the bow, handling 10–12 cormorants tethered by ropes. The firelight startles ayu fish, prompting the cormorants to catch them in rapid succession