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When did hatahata, the fish so essential to the lives of the people in Akita, begin to be fished? The first recordings of hatahata fishing date back to 1597, when the feudal lord of Akita Domain, the Satake clan, moved to Akita. The records indicate that as much as 160 da (approx. 21,600 kilograms) of fish, including salmon, trout, and hatahata were carried from the areas around Noshiro and Oga to the city of Akita (recorded in Kuriyama Nizo Sakana Sanyojo, a part of Akitake Monjo). Moreover, it is noted in Odaka Jinsuke Shoyaku Sanyojo, also a part of Akitake Monjo, that there were 39 hatahata ships in Hachimori Village (current Happo Town), and 1,550 buckets of hatahata were submitted to the lord. In these reports, the term \u201chatahata\u201d is indicated with Chinese characters meaning \u201cdivine fish,\u201d but phonetic alphabets were also added for its pronunciation as \u201chatahata.\u201d Thus, it is known that hatahata were referred to by their current name even in those days. While these records are considered the oldest documentation of hatahata, hatahata fishing must have began much earlier since the recorded amounts are too large to be from the first years of fishing.\nThen, how were the hatahata fished in those days? Several fishing methods were utilized during the Edo era (1600s~1800s), such as Hiki-ami (also known as Jibiki-ami), Kobiki-ami, Nage-ami, and Sukui-ami, with the most common of these being the Hiki-ami method. This method involved drawing the fishing net already set on the ocean floor.
\nHorses were used as means of transportation until the early 20th century. Owning a transportation business with horses was regarded as a precious side-job, particularly among farmers in winter, as agriculture does not bring income during the off-season. It is said that the farmers had to travel with their horses all night long to earn enough money for the family to prepare for the new year celebrations.
\nThese fishing and transportation methods were gradually replaced with modern technologies, including the installation of the Ou Line of railway in 1905 and the gradual adoption of motorboats during the Taisho era (1912-1926). However, the Oga and Hachimori areas resisted such changes. Dugout boats (marukibune and eguribune) were used as the primary boats for fishing until the post-war period. This was due to the fact that these small, tough boats were capable of moving around rocky reefs near the shores as well as sailing through rough waves. Current methods in industrial hatahata fishing include Sokobiki-ami (a type of bottom trawling that is practiced by throwing a net offshore on the ocean floors where hatahata gather), compact Teichi-ami (a type of fishery performed by setting and leaving a net for some time in the water), Sashi-ami (a type of gillnetting), and other variations. These methods enabled the inhabitants to serve fresh hatahata in their houses immediately following the catch.
\nSokobiki-ami (Bottom trawling): Sokobiki-ami is a fishing method operated almost throughout the entire year, except during the prohibited period in July and August. It is conducted in the deep waters of 80-400 meters (depending on the season); this method is greatly utilized in November to catch the large groups of hatahata approaching the coasts.
\nSashi-ami (Gillnetting): In this method, hatahata are caught by gilling. Although it has advantages in that it involves less workers as well as less costs for equipment, workers must put forth maximum effort after the catch to detach the hatahata from the gillnet by hand.
\nCompact Teichi-ami (also known as hatahata tate-ami, a type of fishery performed by setting and leaving the net for a certain period of time): This fishing method is conducted in the distant, shallow waters located 300 meters away from the shore and measuring less than 5 meters deep. The nets used in this method are relatively compact so that they can be easily removed during periods of high waves. The volume of the catch depends on the geographical features of the sea floor and the conditions of the seaweed forest. This method is conducted day and night during the peak season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"