By Diogo Yamada
Japan is a country composed of four large islands and thousands of other smaller islands with volcanic and mountainous terrain and a climate of heavy rain and typhoons, which made it difficult to raise cattle and other large animals.
In this way, the Japanese people lived for a long time with a shortage of nutrients, having fish and seafood as their main source of food, developing fishing techniques in addition to hunting since the dawn of Eastern civilization. In the 3rd century BC (Yauoi period), the Japanese learned from the Korean people the technique of growing rice, which complemented their diet as a carbohydrate base. The cultivation of rice also led to the creation of pigs and chickens that needed little space and were also fed with the remains of rice, improving even more food for the Japanese. However, around 600 a.d., Emperor Temmu prohibited, under penalty of death, the consumption of pork, chicken, horse or ox, with only the consumption of wild boar. With the development of Buddhism, this decree took force and lasted until the middle of the 16th century with the arrival of the Portuguese. Thus, fishing in Japan was essential for the survival of this ancient people, who created several fishing techniques and developed many others, in search of food and also leisure, having more experience than any other people, in this activity, because feed yourself! Feed your families. They needed to fish at all times of the year. The fish could not be missing. While the men fished, the women harvested shellfish on the rocks by the sea. Later, the men, impressed by the amount of shellfish that their wives and daughters collected, began to take them to the fisheries on the high seas, suggesting there the “Ama-San” who dived in deep waters and without equipment in search of fish. more food and today pearl collectors are respected in the city of Toba.
This mastery of Japanese cuisine is added to all the care and respect that the Japanese people still had for fishing, fish and the sea, with full awareness of its importance in the existence of its people.
The fishing articles industry is highly developed and invests heavily in materials research and the development of baits and equipment. Engineers and artisans work together on these creations and the most established brands still work with artisanal production, such as Fisherman, Carpenter, Hammer Head, Seven Seas, among others.
If you want to learn more about Japanese Fishing Techniques check out www.thefishermanshut.com
