Scooping flying fish

Flying fish scooping at Cape Toi, Kushima-shi

The sea around Kushima-shi, Miyazaki is an area where fishery has prospered, because the Kuroshio Current is complicated and various fish live in the natural reefs. Net-fishing for flying fish, which was transmitted from Tanegashima Island in the Genroku period, is very actively practiced, and the area is known for the flying fish.
From June to September, you can experience flying fish catching. The boats leave the port in the dark of the night, and flying fish will come flying towards the fishing lights, allowing you to scoop them up mid-air using hand held nets. They can get as large as 40 cm, and it is a suitable activity for women and children to challenge, making it a popular activity.
The flying fish can fly as far as 400 meters along the surface of the sea, with its streamlined body and pectoral fins. You may catch other kinds of fish, too, and it’s a fun activity. If you are lucky enough to hit a school of flying fish, you may catch more than you can eat. You can enjoy the fish as “sashimi”, which taste light and refreshing. A must do, if you are visiting Miyazaki in summer.