A Tour of Set-Net Fishing in Tokyo Bay
Jan 09,2015
Having freshly caught fish for breakfast is a luxury
Hota is a small town and fishing port in southwestern Chiba prefecture on Tokyo Bay that has practiced set-net fishing for many decades. I travelled to Hota when I heard of a tour open to the general public that included a breakfast of fish straight from the sea.
Our guide will be Suzuki Jun from the Hota Fisheries Cooperation Association.
A fisherman’s dictionary has no word for cold
It’s a weekday in mid-December. When I arrived at the harbor before dawn at 4:50 a.m., the fishermen were already gathered around a bonfire. Incited, perhaps, by the flames of a real fire, a rare sight in the city, I began to feel the thrill of embarking on a true adventure.
At 5:10 a.m., with a single “Let’s do this” from the captain, the 15 or so fishermen briskly split up and boarded the three waiting boats. In short order, the boats left shore and headed out into the pitch-black sea. We observers felt a rising, heart-pounding elation.
After traveling out from land for about 10 minutes, we arrived at the zone where the set nets are placed. Nets measuring 30 meters by 150 meters cover a tract of ocean. Two 30-meter-long boats took their positions facing each other in preparation for reeling in nets in two passes.
The first pass reeled in a net set in a shallow position on the zone’s left side. As the net was being drawn in, the two boats that had started about 50 meters apart inched closer and closer together.
After 30 minutes of carefully drawing in the net, more than a dozen varieties of fish, including horse mackerel, mackerel, Japanese amberjack, largehead hairtail, olive flounder, spiny red gurnard, and bigfin reef squid, were brought to the surface. As you can imagine, the lively fish were flipping and squirming everywhere. Screaming seagulls circled above us, contriving to get their share of the riches. Only the fishermen, mutely going about their tasks, were silent.
Onboard, the fishermen first sorted the high-value catches like cornetfish, olive flounder, and red seabream.
Our guide, Suzuki Atsushi , in seconds flat filleted a bigfin reef squid and a Japanese common squid for us. The fresh squid, which had been alive just minutes earlier, were certain to be delicious. The morsels were crunchy, firm, and wondrously sweet. What I would have done for a bowl of white rice at that moment.
The second pass pulled in a net set at a deeper position on the right side of the zone. Some ten tons of sea bass were landed from this net. The hold was full of fish with delicious white meat.
The morning sun finally broke above the horizon, but the wind still made it frigid out at sea. The wind-chill factor felt like it was below freezing, and I was frozen to the marrow. I asked Suzuki, “Aren’t you cold?” He simply retorted, “Fishermen don’t have a word for cold.” When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When at sea, endure.
It was impressive how the fishermen went about their stressful work despite the cold. With nimble footwork, they took care of their tasks on unsteady boats where one misstep could lead to a serious accident. Shivering in the cold, I realized that teamwork is an essential part of fishing.
Utmost gratitude for the ocean’s fresh bounty
We arrived back at the harbor at 7 a.m. My legs were wobbly back on land, but the fishermen wasted no time in sorting the catch.
The today’s haul totaled about four tons. The most expensive fish was a cornetfish (lower right photo in the panel above), whose white sashimi is said to be exquisite and hard to find even at the best ryotei Japanese restaurants.
Two hours later, horse mackerel, spiny red gurnard, Japanese amberjack, and bigfin reef squid (top left photo in the panel below) had been expertly carved up into sashimi and were sitting on the table in front of us. Rice, fishhead soup, and juvenile gnomefish simmered in sweetened soy sauce had also been prepared for us.
These fish had been swimming in the ocean only three hours ago, had been caught right in front of us by fishermen who had been beside us only minutes ago, and had been prepared on the spot by the chefs. This was the most straightforward and elementary breakfast of my life. I was amazed by the taste, for sure, but also by the simplicity of the meal.
What else amazed me was the terrific value. The set-net fishing tour, the generous breakfast, and entrance to an artificially carbonated hot springs bath all for just 1,800 yen. How can you beat this attraction?
