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Catch and Eat Tuna

Catch tuna in the Uwakai Sea and enjoy a filleting show. 

Catch and Eat Tuna

We recently created a tour under a national government Premium Product project to develop trips based on Japan’s premier travel content. Our tour visits the aquaculture sites in the beautiful Uwakai, a part of the Inland Sea off the city of Uwajima in Ehime. This was one of the first places in Japan to succeed in raising tuna in enclosures, thanks to the powerful tides that sweep through the channels between the islands, ensuring a hygienic environment. The fish are fed with side catch and the unused parts of agricultural produce, resulting in rich, delicious flesh, best enjoyed as sashimi. This method of farming helps ameliorate the issue of overfishing, while contributing to the sustainability of regional fisheries and agriculture.

Tuna is an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine such as sushi and sashimi. Today, tuna is becoming increasingly popular not only in Japan but also internationally. Uwajima, in Ehime Prefecture, is famous for its bluefin tuna farms. Here we introduce a special tour that allows you to try your hand at dynamic tuna fishing in Uwajima. Not only do you catch the tuna, you can also watch it being filleted by a professional and enjoy it at the peak of freshness.

Uwajima is located in the southern part of Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, a region with a long history that once prospered as a castle town. It’s known for its mild climate and it’s a major producer of citrus. This mild climate is also ideal for fish farming, and the area is blessed with delicious tuna, yellowtail, and sea bream.

On the tour, you board a fast fishing boat and cruise out to the tuna farm through the scenic Uwa Sea. You watch the tuna being fed and try feeding the tuna yourself. Then it’s time to try your hand at catching a tuna. One of the group is elected to make the catch. A tuna weighing around 15 kg is so powerful that it almost pulls you into the sea. After catching the tuna, you take a commemorative photo.

With the tuna packed in ice, you return to port, and move to the venue for the filleting show and meal. Venues include a restaurant in Uwajima, and hotels in Matsuyama and Dogo. The big tuna you caught is filleted by filled by professionals called Sabaki Girls in a lively show. During the show, the girls provide a lot of informative trivia about the tuna carefully raised in the Uwa Sea, and there’s a fun quiz at the end.

The tuna filleted by the Sabaki Girls is served in a variety of delicious ways, including sushi and sashimi. Farmed tuna from Uwajima, which is raised in enclosures in the rich natural waters of the inland sea, is fatty yet light and has a superb flavour. Enjoy tuna that you caught yourself and that you can only taste here! This luxury tour is for small groups, making it ideal for incentive travel or to mark an anniversary. Please contact us for more information and availability.

Timetable
8:00  Meet at Roadside Station Minato Oasis Uwajima

8:00 to 11:15 

  • Cruise the Uwa Sea on a chartered boat
  • Feed tuna at the fish farm
  • Catch a tuna
  • Visit the terraced fields at Mizugaura in Yusu
  • Take a commemorative photo with the tuna
  • Move to the filleting and dinner venue
  • Watch the filleting show and eat the tuna

Price
1,100,000 yen (tax included) from 1 to 20 persons

What’s included in the price

  • Guided cruise
  • Tuna feeding
  • Tuna catching
  • Tuna filleting show

Conditions

  • Separate arrangements must be made for the venue of the tuna filleting show and dinner. Please consult us for options.
  • In case of bad weather, the trip may be cancelled for safety reasons. (Departure decision: 6:00 on the day at the latest)
  • One person catches one fish. Up to three casts by different participants are allowed until a fish is caught.
  • Tuna feeding and commemorative photo with tuna are available for all visitors.
  • Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet or dirty. Boots or old sneakers are recommended.

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