Japan's cormorant fishing season draws nearly 85,000 boat spectators

This year's "ukai" cormorant fishing season attracted around 84,900 passengers for viewing boats that allowed them to witness the 1,300-year-old tradition up close.At the end of the season on Thursday evening, fishermen clad in traditional garb arrived on boats with flaming fire baskets as trained cormorants caught sweetfish on the Nagara River in Gifu, central Japan.Cheers erupted as the fishermen skillfully guided the cormorants to catch the fish.The cormorant fishing is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of Japan and the city is aiming for it to gain UNESCO inta…READ FULL ARTICLE