Catching fish to dance on the plate and palette

By Shinobu Miwa

A square fish net is lowered into Ubakura Canal in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The Daily Yomiuri

Ice goby fishing, an early spring tradition, can be seen at the mouth of the Matsumotogawa river in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Ice gobies spawn from late winter to spring in an area where seawater mixes with freshwater, and the fishing season is from mid-February to late March.

Although people fish for ice gobies in various parts of the nation. the method used in Hagi is unique in that a four-meter-square fishing net is lowered into the river from a boat used to catch the fish as they swim upstream.

This is a traditional fishing method dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868).

Ice gobies grow up to about five centimeters in length.

The white-and-transparent fish are most commonly served alive with vinegar and soy sauce.

Those who hesitate to eat the dancing fish cook them with scrambled egg or deep-fry them.