Four Must-Try Fishing Experiences in Hokkaido | Recommended for Kids Too! ♪ Hokkaido Lab ~A Hokkaido Travel Guide to Enjoy Gourmet Food, Nature, and Culture~

Four must-try fishing experiences in Hokkaido | Recommended for kids too!

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: Last updated: September 11, 2018

Table of contents

1. Beach seine fishing (Ishikari City, Mukawa Town, Hamanaka Town)

2. Abalone hunting (Okushiri Island)

3. Kelp drying experience (Shikabe Town)

4. Sea urchin shucking experience (Rebun Island)

Final thoughts

Hokkaido Abalone

Hokkaido is a region where agriculture, fishing, and forestry are extremely prosperous. Naturally, there are also many activities centered around hands-on experiences.

In addition to nature experiences, agricultural harvesting experiences and fruit picking are also very popular.

From summer to autumn, you can enjoy some kind of agricultural experience in any of the regional development bureaus, and even eat the harvested produce right there.

On the other hand, don't you think there are surprisingly few fishing-related experiences available? Even though it's a primary industry like fishing...

So this time, we've picked out some fishing experiences you can have in Hokkaido. A trip that's not just about having fun, but also about learning.

I think it will create a memorable trip for the kids as well.

Table of contents
1. Beach seine fishing (Ishikari City, Mukawa Town, Hamanaka Town)
2. Abalone hunting (Okushiri Island)
3. Kelp drying experience (Shikabe Town)
4. Sea urchin shucking experience (Rebun Island)
Final thoughts

1. Beach seine fishing (Ishikari City, Mukawa Town, Hamanaka Town)

Hokkaido dragnet

While it's well-known in places like Choshi on Honshu, you can experience dragnet fishing in Ishikari City and Hidaka, which have shallow seas.

This fishing method, which has been practiced since the Edo period, involves a large group of people pulling up nets that have been placed in the sea beforehand.

In the relatively small Ishikari Beach, around 15 people pull in the nets at once, while in the larger town of Oumu, more than 40 people pull in the nets simultaneously.

Many children's club events are held here. The fish caught are grilled on the spot via BBQ or beachside cooking. It is said that not only flounder and shellfish are caught, but also high-class fish such as sole and rockfish, as well as crabs and shrimp.

What you catch is entirely up to luck and the weather. But no matter what you catch, a fish you've caught yourself through your own efforts will surely taste exceptional.

You are welcome to take home any fish you can't finish eating. Please remember to bring a cooler box or similar container.

This program requires a minimum of 15 participants, so you'll need to gather enough people. However, some agencies are willing to accommodate smaller groups, so please feel free to inquire.

Ishikari Tourism Association (General Incorporated Association)
Address: 107 Oyofune-cho, Ishikari City, Hokkaido (Inside Ishikari City Tourist Center)
TEL: 0133-62-4611
Mukawa Sea Appreciation Society　
Address: 2-88 Miyuki, Mukawa-cho, Yufutsu-gun (within Mukawa Town Tourism Association)
TEL: 0145-47-2480 (Mukawa Town Tourism Association)
Seine fishing experience - Sato
Address: Enkotan, Goshizumura, Hamanaka-cho, Akkeshi-gun
TEL: 0153-64-2152
FAX: 0153-64-2152

2. Abalone hunting (Okushiri Island)

Hokkaido Abalone

What a luxurious treasure hunt in the sea! That's abalone hunting, which takes place on Okushiri Island until October.

From Aonai Fishing Port, fully equipped with rubber boots and life jackets, we boarded a fisherman's boat and headed to a fish farm overflowing with abalone.

The tanks are packed to the brim with large abalone from southern Hokkaido.

You choose the largest one yourself and eat it right there. You can enjoy up to two crunchy, sweet abalone all to yourself, with the aroma of the sea and the taste of the ocean playing a supporting role.

This is the best seafood meal you can only enjoy here. The service is also excellent, as you can take other items home for an extra charge.

If you've made the trip all the way to Okushiri, you absolutely must experience this.

You'll be able to fully enjoy the feeling of being a fisherman for a short while, while feeling the sea breeze from the Sea of Japan.

Feeling a little seasick? The magnificent ocean views will make you forget all about it.

Okushiri Island Tourism Association
Address: Aoba, Okushiri-cho, Okushiri-gun
TEL: 01397-2-3456
FAX: 01397-2-3450

3. Kelp drying experience (Shikabe Town)

Hokkaido Kombu drying experience

High-quality kelp from Hokkaido is often seen in dried food stores. It has an exquisite flavor whether boiled or used to make broth, but this is dried kelp.

The kelp doesn't come up from the sea in that state. Once it's brought ashore from the ship, each piece is dried by hand at a kelp drying area.

The Shikabe Fisheries Cooperative in southern Hokkaido is the organization that offers this experience.

When submerged in the sea, these magnificent kelp pieces can reach lengths of 15 to 20 meters and widths exceeding 20 cm. They are then carefully spread out one by one on a kelp drying area covered with crushed stones.

If the spacing is too wide, not all the kelp will line up, and if it's bent, it won't overlap properly when it's dried.

Moreover, kelp, which contains a lot of water, is heavy. It's much heavier than wakame or other seaweeds.

You'll understand that it's a surprisingly delicate and physically demanding job.

You can personally experience how this kind of painstaking work brings out the wonderful flavor of the broth and is the source of creating Japanese cuisine that the world can be proud of.

This is a task that even physically strong young people might give up on after just half a day. Give it a try!

Shikabe Town Hall, Tourism and Commerce Division
299 Miyahama, Shikabe-cho, Kayabe-gun, Hokkaido 041-1498, Japan
TEL: 01372-7-5293
*Similar experiences are also available in Samani Town and Rishiri Town.

4. Sea urchin shucking experience (Rebun Island)

Sea urchin shucking experience in Hokkaido

Rebun Island, a remote island in northern Hokkaido, offers a center where you can experience shucking sea urchins, with views of Mount Rishiri.

The target is the Ezo purple sea urchin, which has a very pointed shape. The part we usually eat is the ovary.

To extract the delicate and elegant yellow diamonds, each one is carefully broken open, the contents removed, and gently washed in saltwater.

This facility lets you experience the entire process. Of course, you should eat the meat you extract right there.

You'll really get a sense of just how much effort and skill goes into making a single gunkan maki sushi.

Furthermore, if you've extracted the meat yourself, you'll likely appreciate its deliciousness all the more.

You can make up to two for a fee. This is an experience you can't easily find outside of Hokkaido, and the rich flavor is exceptional. Please give it a try!

Sea Urchin Shucking Experience Center
Address: Kitousu, Kafuka Village, Rebun-cho, Rebun-gun
TEL: 0163-87-2506

Final thoughts

So, what did you think? We often take seafood for granted, but each piece has its own story before it reaches your mouth.

In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that there isn't a single ingredient in Hokkaido that doesn't have a story behind it.

Agricultural and dairy farming experiences are popular throughout Hokkaido and can be enjoyed anywhere, but fishing experiences are a bit more special.

You need the ocean, and you need experts in that field. Hokkaido is a place that is special, and that's precisely why we want you to experience it.

There is no doubt that this will be an invaluable experience for your child and will form the foundation for their growth.

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