Ushitsu Harbor 宇出津港
The southern coast of the Noto Peninsula
To get to the small town of Ushitsu, located on the southern coast of the Noto Peninsula, you have to travel along the roads that run along the still somewhat wild coastline of Ishikawa Prefecture. For a long time, the economy of this port city depended on the trade-in seafood, which is still one of its mainstays today.
Sea in sight!
Despite its small size (it has less than 8,000 inhabitants), the small town of Ushitsu is home to one of the fisheries research centers in Ishikawa Prefecture in its port. If the center is not accessible to the public, you can however meet and question the researchers who work there if you visit the Museum of Oceanography and Fisheries located near the research center.
In this small museum dedicated to the ocean, sometimes nicknamed the Museum of the Sea and Fish, you can learn more about the sea, the marine ecosystem, fishing techniques, or fisheries as well as participate in manual activities. Finally, admission to the museum is free for both children and adults. Ocean lovers will therefore have no excuse not to take advantage of a stay on the Noto Peninsula to take a short tour.
Also discover: A day on the Noto Peninsula
Summer and winter festivals
In addition to its friendly museum, the city of Ushitsu and its port also offer every summer, on the first Friday and Saturday of July, the very famous Abare festival. This festival is dedicated to Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine and Susanoo no Mikoto, the Shinto deity of the sea, storms, and thunderstorms.
Also known as the Ushitsu Kiriko Festival, named after the huge floating lanterns typical of the Noto Peninsula, this festival is that of "rage" (the literal meaning of abare ). We pay homage to the destroyer god Susanoo by lighting kiriko lanterns and destroying a mikoshi (a kind of portable reliquary that is moved in procession during a Japanese festival) to the sound of taiko, gigantic drums. But fear not, this festival is as impressive to watch as it is safe for those who attend.
On January 20, 2019, the city will also launch the first edition of its Cold Festival which will showcase local products as well as many products from fishing. A demonstration of cutting amberjack, a fish that the Japanese traditionally eat in winter, is also on the program.
Read also: Matsuri, Japanese festivals, and Festivals and matsuri, where and when to party in Japan?
A kiriko lantern
Daniel Ramirez (Wikimedia Commons)
A mikoshi
663highland (Wikimedia Commons)
taiko players
Chris 73 (Wikimedia Commons)
Address, timetable & access
Address
Timetable
2 hrs by car from Kanazawa by bus at the Notocho Yakubamae stop
