TOKYO'S AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHERIES SITE

From there we made our way through the small canals through Tokyo and out to the sea. Feeling the power of the sea waves while we are cruising by the Tokyo skyline was so exhilarating! But be careful, hold on tight to the boat railings! I did not expect that little boat to be so fast moving. Of course you can sit inside the boat and relax, but we enjoyed the wind and the sea from the outside seating area. Once we were settled to our fishing spot, we got to try out what we learned from our instructor. Going fishing for real is very different to going fishing in a video game like Animal Crossing. It requires more steps than just one button. First you have to understand the mechanism on how to set up the fishing rod.

Once we connect a new fishing hook to the fishing line, it is time for something very important. The worm that will attract the fish! Oh, how I underestimated the power and will of those worms. It was very tricky to attach it to the hook, because they try to wiggle themselves out of my grip, but after a few tries I got better and better at it. Alternatives to live worms are provided if you so choose. The next step is the lowering of the fishing rod line into the water and further down to the ground, where most of the fish are located. Now it becomes a waiting game of moving the rod slightly and trying to get a feeling for when the fish bite. I was surprised by how quickly we were able to catch the fish! The most exciting part, of course, is when they finally bite into and worm and drag on your fishing rod. You try to reel them in and you have to work against the surprising power of those fish. Sometimes they escape with the worm and you have to reattach new bait. But don’t get discouraged, you will surely get the next one! It was so exciting to get one fish after the other and I caught four fish overall, including the Japanese Jack Mackerel. Truely a japanese experience you can’t have anywhere else!

When we arrived back on the mainland, our next destination was a japanese restaurant. This was probably my favourite part of the day. This is not an ordinary restaurant, but a very special one. After our adventure on sea we returned with the fish we caught and gave them to the skilled chef of the restaurant! He prepared them in three different dishes. First we had tempura, which is battered and deep fried fish and vegetables. What an absolutely delicious combination of the fish and the fried dough. Then we had Sashimi, which is raw fish. And let me tell you that Sashimi was one of the best I have ever had. And lastly, we had Garlic Mushroom with the fish, which was a whole different flavor, especially when you dunk some crackers in the Garlic sauce. The food was so incredibly delicious and a big reason for that was because we provided the fish for meals! It feels so rewarding and I think you will enjoy it, too.