Kumamoto's River Restaurant Specialising in Ayu fish

Ayu or sweetish is a delicious Japanese summer fish.Kick back in a small town named Kosa in Kumamoto prefecture, and visit their renowned thatched roof restaurant that specializes in ayu cooking.It's only open from June to October.

Taste the Japanese Summer fish, Ayu

Slow your pace at Japan’s countryside and devour Japan’s delicious summer fish, Ayu or sweetfish. Listen to the cicadas singing, watch the gentle river flow, and feel the cool river breeze as you sit on a tatami mat of a beautiful Japanese summer- house. All the while trying different dishes of Ayu that don’t come with a painful price tag.

Ayu are tiny freshwater fish that can only live in unpolluted, clean rivers and streams. They eat organic plants attached to pebbles in the river. In the fall, they lay eggs by the mouth of the river. Just-born ayu swim into the ocean to pass the winter. When the temperature rises in spring, they go back to the river in search of warmer water. After summer ends, they go back to the mouth of the river to lay eggs again. Their average life span is one year.

Mainly two types of fishing methods are used to catch them. One is fly-fishing where anglers use a long rod and reel to catch Ayu. Some anglers use lures, others use live decoy Ayu. Taking advantage of the fish’s behavior to attack other fish that have entered their territory, anglers trick Ayu into believing that another Ayu has invaded their territory, and waits for them to attack the bait. It’s a fishing method that requires a lot of practice and skill, and like any other fly-fishing, patience.

The more commonly used method of Ayu fishing is, using a yana, a type of fish trap. A yana is a weir with a bamboo fish trap and platform attached to it. The idea is, as the river flows from the upper level to a lower level, Ayu fish that are not small enough to pass through the trap get caught on the platform in the lower level. Fish that have landed on the platform are then scooped up-- sometimes with bare hands.

Traditional Yana Restaurant in Kosa, Kumamoto

About a 30-minute drive from Kumamoto city, a small town called Kosa is located in the center of Kumamoto prefecture. The town logo is made of three colors- red that signifies the yana town people’s passion and the sun, green for birds and nature, and blue for the flowing Midorigawa river and Ayu.

The most popular restaurant to have Ayu in town is the Yanaba. Unlike many yana areas that offer hands-on Ayu fishing experiences, this restaurant is built on top of the river surrounding a yana. They started fishing for Ayu using a yana about 400 years ago, and after World War II, built a building surrounding the yana. The building itself is owned by the town, but is operated by a high-end restaurant. From every June to October, the restaurant opens to serve a variety of Ayu dishes, and is visited by locals and tourists from all over Japan.

Enjoy the Yana Restaurant’s Atmosphere

Beautiful ikebana flowers are displayed at the gate. Seeing this, you might think about double-checking your wallet, but rest assured, all the dishes are reasonably priced. They offer three course meals that range between 2,000 yen and 3,500 yen, and other simple ayu dishes. “Course” does not mean every dish will be served one-at-a-time, but rather, it means a variety of Ayu dishes will be served on a tray at once. So if your travel buddy is not hungry and just wants to eat a bowl of Ayu and rice, but you want to order a course, you can go ahead and do so without feeling guilty.

As you walk in the entrance, you take your shoes off and walk toward your tatami seat while looking at the Midorigawa river and yana in front of you. With windows wide open, there is no air conditioning but something about watching the river flow with a scenic mountain view in the background has a cooling effect. Although there is a sense of tradition to the building, you will also see that it is a family-friendly atmosphere with children playing in the water on the yana while they wait for their food.

You might be surprised with the variety of Ayu dishes presented in front of you. If you order a course meal, you may get to try nanbanduke (sweet and peppery vegtable sauce), sashimi, soup, and grilled with miso paste. The most popular way many people like to have it though, is simple: Grilled with sprinkles of salt. Ayu is skewered in a sort of s-like shape with a stick, and placed for slow-roasting in an open fire. Ayu flesh is soft and sweet and the fins are crispy. The entire fish, from head to fins, is eaten.

Munching on Ayu, with a glass of beer in hand, and relaxing while watching the river with beautiful mountains in the background--- this is the perfect summer vacation of a Japanese urbanite.