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Glide down the Nagara River in a pleasure boat while enjoying a banquet hosted geisha and watching traditional cormorant fishing
ORGAN
Enjoy Gifu Prefecture’s tradition of firelight cormorant fishing along the Nagara River on a memorable pleasure cruise. Geisha will welcome you, and the boats depart accompanied by the sounds of flutes and taiko drums, and moor at the riverbank a short distance upstream.
As you savor a meal of Gifu cuisine and sake while feeling the river breeze, you will be entertained by a hokan (a now rare type of male performer who combines storytelling and dance), and geisha who sing, dance, and play the shamisen. Listening to the gentle sounds of the flowing river and watching elegant dances against the backdrop of Mt. Kinka is a true only-in-Gifu experience.
The cormorant fishing commences with a fireworks display, and guests will be able to see how the bonfires used to lure the fish reflect dramatically on the surface of the water. Get an unimpeded view as the cormorant masters on their fishing boats wield their ropes and encourage their birds as they dive again and again. The final highlight of the evening is when the fishing boats line up across the width of the river and cast their nets in unison.
How to get there
From Nagoya Station, take the JR Tokaido Main Line to Gifu Station (about 20 minutes). From there, take the Gifu Bus to the Nagara-bashi bus stop (about 15 minutes). The starting point is just a short walk from the bus stop.
425‐7 Kamizaimoku-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu-ken