The Shimanto River, celebrated as Japan's last truly free-flowing river with no large dams, hosts summer fishing festivals honouring the ayu (sweetfish) that migrate upstream each year. Visitors can board traditional low-slung yakatebune pleasure boats to watch or participate in tobiariai net fishing, a method unchanged for generations on this protected waterway. The adjoining Kawa no Eki riverside stations host evening markets with freshly salt-grilled ayu, river prawn skewers, and Kochi craft beer. The festival coincides with the annual Shimanto River fireworks events and the otherworldly reflections of paper lanterns on the still water at dusk.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Nature
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- July–August
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Kochi
- City
- Shimanto
Highlights
- ◆Tobiariai traditional net fishing on Japan's last free river
- ◆Yakatebune flat-bottomed boat excursions
- ◆Freshly salt-grilled ayu sweetfish feasts
- ◆Riverside evening markets with local craft beer
- ◆Lantern reflections on still water at dusk