Ukai is an over 1300 year old tradition of using cormorant birds to fish for ayu, river sweetfish, during the summer months. The tradition came from China sometime in the 7th-8th Century. It was mentioned as an already old tradition in the historical chronicle Nihonshoki compiled in 722.

Usho, a cormorant fishing master, puts several cormorants into the water to catch ayu. They are linked by ropes and when they catch one are pulled into the boat where they spit out the fish from special pouches in their throat. It takes 2-3 years to properly train a cormorant for the task.

Uji's ukai season is from July 1st through September 30th.

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