Gifu Ukai 2013

Ukai or Cormorant Fishing has taken place along the famous Nagara River in Gifu for more than 1300 years. It is a major summer attraction in Japan with the season running from May 11 to October 15. With the season winding down for another year, Japan Australia took the chance to head down to the river bank and see this spectacular event.

We started off at the Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office, where you can check in if you are going on one of the viewing boats. There is also an Ukai Boat Waiting Area where you can see a video of the famous ukai and pick up a souvenir from the gift shop.

Ukai Boat Waiting Area

The boats are boarded around 6:30 pm and will head off one by one to cruise down to the watching point. They anchor by the side of the river and wait for the ukai to start. While you wait you can enjoy the beautiful view of the river and mountains while enjoying a Japanese bento dinner and drinks. Typically ukai will start at around 7:45 pm. The start is signaled by a small fireworks display. The fishing boats head back downstream and you can see them approaching with their flames in the distant. They pass the viewing boats which are lined up along the river before making a u-turn and heading back towards the viewing boats. They end up parking on the shore before returning home. Ukai usually ends around 8:00 pm and most people get off the boat by around 8:30 pm.

Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat

Cormorant Fishing Boat

Cormorant Fishing Master at Work

Gifu Ukai Cormorant Fishing

The best place to view ukai from the river bank is on the Gifu Park side of the river opposite Usyounoie Sugiyama (see the Google Map below). I recommend getting there for around 7:30 pm. The fishing boats will pass the viewing boats and then turn back and park on the shore. This means you can get up close and personal with them which is quite an experience.

Usyounoie Sugiyama

Ukai Up Close and Personal

 
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Gifu Nobunaga Festival

The Gifu Nobunaga Festival is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of October. The festival honours the memory and feats of Oda Nobunaga, a samurai warlord who used Gifu City as a base on his mission to unify Japan during the warring states period (Sengoku Period). It is a celebration of his contribution towards the development of Gifu as a city and the legacy that he has left behind. The must see events are the memorial ceremony at Sofuku-ji Temple (Nobunaga’s family temple) and the samurai warrior parade down the main street.

Kogane Park Flea Market and Street Vendors 

There is also a large flea market as well as various street vendors selling all kinds of festival food and snacks.

Street Vendors

Samurai Warrior Parade 

The samurai warrior parade starts with a marching band followed by ceremonial matchlock rifle firing and then various groups and historical figures including warriors, ladies and generals and even Lord Nobunaga on horseback himself. The parade starts at 12:30 pm from Gifu Station and ends at around 14:20 pm when the last group reaches Gifu City Hall.

Gifu Nobunaga Festival Mascot ~ Oda Nobunyaga

Marching Band

Samurai Warriors

Some of the cast of heroes and historical figures include:

Oda Nobunaga was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period and was the initiator of the unification of Japan in the late 16th century.

Lord Oda Nobunaga

Luis Frois, was a Portuguese missionary who befriended Nobunaga in 1569 and wrote about the history of Japan on his travels.

Luis Frois

Lady No or Nohime was the wife of Oda Nobunaga, and was renowned for her beauty and cleverness.

Lady No (Nohime) 

Saito Dosan was a Japanese samurai who became the father-in-law of Oda Nobunaga.

Saito Dosan

Shibata Katsuie was a Japanese military commander who served Oda Nobunaga.

Shibata Katsuie

Oichi was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga, and was equally renowned for her beauty and resolve as Nohime.

Oichi

Lady Go was Oda Nobunaga’s niece. 

Lady Go

Yamauchi Kazutoyo served as a general under Oda Nobunaga.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo

Kinoshita Tokichiro was also a general who served under Oda Nobunaga. He later became Toyotomi Hideyoshi when he succeeded his former master.

Kinoshita Tokichiro also known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Takenaka Hanbei, also known as Takenaka Shigeharu was a Japanese samurai, who is remembered as being a clever strategist.

Takenaka Hanbei also known as Takenaka Shigeharu

The Schedule of Events 

Saturday 
• Memorial Ceremony at Sofuku-ji Temple
• Musical Band Parade
• Kogane Park Flea Market

Sunday 
• Samurai Warrior Parade
• Musical Band Parade
• Citizen’s Carnival
• Kogane Park Flea Market

The samurai warrior parade is held along Nagarabashi Dori from Gifu Station to Gifu City Hall. One of the best places to view it from is the intersection at Wakamiya-cho.


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Halloween Snacks in Japan

Autumn is one of the best times of year in Japan for seasonal food and drink. Some of the seasonal delicacies include kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) kuri (chestnuts) and satsumaimo (sweet potato). During the summer Japan Australia wrote about some of the summer snacks that were available in Japan. Now it’s Autumn and time for those Autumn Halloween snacks that have been making an appearance. Every Halloween in Japan special versions of popular snacks are produced with jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, witches and wizards just some of the cute Halloween designs that can be found.

Some of our favourite Halloween Snacks have been:

Pumpkin Pudding Kit Kat 

A special edition of Kit Kat just for Halloween. This one taste just like a sweet pudding with a hint of Japanese pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pudding Kit Kat

Pumpkin Pudding Kit Kat Close up

Angel Pie 

Angel Pie is a popular Japanese snack that consists of two small round cakes with marshmallow filling all covered in chocolate. They remind me of the wagon wheels we have back in Australia.

Halloween Angel Pie

Koala no March Chocolate 

A special Halloween version of Koala no March featuring our favourite Koala in cute Halloween costumes. These bite size koala shaped cookies have a sweet chocolate filling inside and are just so cute!

Halloween Koala no March

Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato 

Two of our all-time favourite Japanese snacks taste just the same, but come in special Halloween packaging. Konoko no Yama literally means "mushroom mountain" and these snacks are mushroom shaped biscuits with a chocolate top. Takenoko no Sato literally means "bamboo shoot village" and these snacks look just like little bamboo shoots topped with chocolate.

Halloween Kinoko no Yama & Takenoko no Sato

Halloween Konoko no Yama

They look just like little mushrooms

Halloween Takenoko no Sato

Takenoko no Sato Chocolate

Toppo 

Toppo is like a reverse Pocky! A biscuit stick with the topping on the inside. This is a special Halloween version of Toppo.

Halloween Toppo

Krispy Kreme Japan 

Krispy Kreme released some Halloween donuts called Krispy Skremes! They include the Caramel Halloween Jack, Orange Chocolate Spider and Purple Potato Mont Blanc.

Krispy Skremes!

Caramel Halloween Jack

Orange Chocolate Spider

Purple Potato Mont Blanc

Which of these would you like to try? Please leave your answer in the comments below.

Not All You See is Sushi

Today's guest post is from Chris Ryall, an Aussie in Japan.

Konnichiwa. My name is Chris Ryall. My wife and I are Australian, and have lived in Japan together for 16 years.

Recently, after not having returned to Australia for 5 years, we made a trip home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with our families. After so long away, it was great to see all the various fare that I had loved as a youth growing up on the Gold Coast.

MOS Burger Tobikiri Hamburger

MOS Burger (モスバーガ) is a popular Japanese fast food chain famous for its fresher, healthier selection of hamburgers. MOS stands for Mountain Ocean Sun. MOS Burger recently announced that it will release a new burger as part of its Tobikiri Burger series. Tobikiri (飛び切り) in Japanese means extraordinary or superb and this range of burgers is a premium selection from MOS Burger. The Tobikiri Burger series made its debut in 2008 and has proved to be very popular.

Interview with ‘Loco in Yokohama’

Baye McNeil is a fellow blogger in Japan that I have been following for many years. He is originally from Brooklyn, New York but now calls the beautiful city of Yokohama home. A multitalented man who is a writer, blogger, amateur photographer and teacher, I really enjoy his work which includes his blog, Loco in Yokohama. Baye is also a published author with his first book, Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist, an acclaimed success. He is just about to release his latest book; ‘Loco in Yokohama’, so Japan Australia took the time to interview this fascinating man.

Lotteria Super Cheeseday and Super Fryday

Japanese burger chain Lotteria is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an Autumn special that might interest all those ex-pat burger lovers here in Japan. Back by popular demand are Lotteria’s Super Cheeseday and Super Fryday burger deals.

Starting from September 23 until October 9, you can find two new items back on the menu. The Zeppin Cheeseburger will come with five beef patties and slices of cheese. It will be priced at 1360 yen (USD$13.60). The Ebi Tree Burger is a seafood option featuring ebi (shrimp). It contains five deep-fried shrimp patties and costs 770 yen (USD$7.70). You may remember that both of these classics featured in the recent Twin Burger.