Heroic Mama

After spending more than a year in Africa, we finally had the chance to spend part of our summer holidays back in Japan, reconnecting with our family and friends. Japan was  scorching hot  during our visit, but that did not stop us from going out and enjoying our time together. As usual, we planned many of our activities around places where Reina could have fun—parks, swimming pools, and other family-friendly places. We also visited many of the small neighborhood parks we used to go to when Reina was little. Going back to these familiar places brought back so many memories and made me realize just how much she has grown. A Day at Nagoya Public Aquarium One of the highlights of our holiday was visiting the  Nagoya Public Aquarium . It is such a wonderful place for children because they can see so many amazing marine animals up close. Reina loved seeing the  dolphins, killer whales, beluga whales, and penguins . We also saw jellyfish, sea turtles, and many different ki...

Last Sunday, I had the chance to experience something truly unique— Daytime Cormorant Fishing , or ukai , in the Kiso River at Inuyama , Aichi Prefecture with my daughter and a good friend who visited us after his MSF mission in Pakistan . The Kiso River has been home to traditional cormorant fishing for 1300 years and it is overlooked by a national treasure, the Inuyama castle , rising above the river banks. The day was filled with joy, relaxation, and a bit of history. For this article, I would like to share about the cormorant fishing in Inuyama and hope to inspire you to come and experience it. What Is Cormorant Fishing? Cormorant fishing, known as ukai (鵜飼) in Japan, is a traditional fishing technique that has been practiced for over 1,300 years. It’s a fascinating way for humans and birds to team up to catch fish, especially sweetfish, called ayu . In this fishing method, The senior fisherman or the cormorant master, known as the ushō (鵜匠), uses trained cormorants, a type of bi...