Cormorant fishing happens at thirteen locations across Japan, but only the masters on the Nagara River hold the title of Imperial Fishermen of the Household Agency. Since 1890, when the Governor of Gifu Prefecture petitioned the Imperial Household Ministry, six fishing masters in the Furutsu district have conducted Goryo Ukai -- imperial cormorant fishing -- eight times each year. The title is hereditary, passed from father to son, and earning the rank of Usho requires at least a decade of apprenticeship. Each master commands ten to twelve birds on individual leashes, guiding them through firelit waters to catch ayu, the prized sweetfish that thrives in the Nagara's clean currents. The tradition stretches back over 1,300 years, making it one of the oldest continuously practiced fishing methods in the world.

The Nagara is one of the Kiso Three Rivers that braid across the Nobi Plain, and its relationship with its neighbors -- the Kiso River and the Ibi River -- is a story of constant negotiation. Downstream, the three rivers converge and diverge repeatedly, tangling together before emptying into Ise Bay. Centuries of engineering have worked to keep them separate, channeling floodwaters and reclaiming land from the braided delta. In the heart of Gifu city, two minor tributaries once split from the Nagara's main channel until 1939 construction rerouted the flow entirely. The reclaimed land became the site of the Gifu Memorial Center, schools, and public buildings -- a modern city built on the bones of an older river course.

The Japanese government classifies the Nagara as a Class 1 river, and its reputation for purity runs deep. Alongside the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture and the Kakita River in Shizuoka Prefecture, it forms Japan's trio of clearest waterways. In 1985, the middle stretch earned a place on the list of Japan's 100 Famous Waters, and the river was recognized among the nation's top bathing areas in both 1988 and 2001. That clarity sustains more than ceremony -- it feeds the Nagaragawa Onsen, a cluster of natural hot springs near Gifu city renowned for their high iron content. Visitors soak in mineral-rich waters while looking out at the same river where cormorant boats will glide that evening.

The Nagara begins in the highlands of Gujo, a mountain town famous for its summer Bon Odori dance festival, where the river runs cold and narrow through forested gorges. As it descends through Mino and Seki -- a city legendary for its swordsmithing -- the valley opens. By the time the river reaches Gifu, it has become a broad, gentle waterway that defines the city's character. Past Mizuho and Ogaki, through the low-lying delta towns of Anpachi, Wanouchi, and Kaizu, the Nagara meanders toward its mouth at Kuwana on Ise Bay. Once known as the Sunomata River, it drains nearly 2,000 square kilometers of the Chubu region, passing through three prefectures -- Gifu, Aichi, and Mie -- before surrendering to the sea.