Yurihama: Fishing Traditions, Foot Baths and Suigosai

When looking for a hotel in Yurihama, local attractions can be a helpful starting point for planning your trip. In Matsuzaki, the focus is on a traditional fishing method, two foot baths that put spring water to a special use, and the Suigosai festival at Matsuzaki Shrine. Each offers a different focus: Yotsudeami demonstrates a fishing method using a lift net; Koi-no-yu and Bishamonten-no-yu allow you to cook eggs; and the shrine ritual follows a boat procession across the lake. This may help you decide which theme you would most like to shape your stay.

Yotsudeami: Lift-Net Fishing

Yotsudeami is a traditional fishing method that uses a special lift net. It is raised and lowered by a pulley from a hut on the lakeshore to catch shrimp and small crucian carp. The process combines a fixed starting point on the shore with the deliberate movement of the net. Each component has a different purpose: the hut serves as the starting point, the pulley moves the lift net, and raising and lowering it is how the fish are caught. Two of these installations remain in Matsuzaki. Those interested in traditional fishing techniques can consider both the types of catch and the construction. Yotsudeami represents a specific combination of hut, lifting mechanism and net—not simply a general reference to fishing.

Foot Baths and Eggs Cooked with Spring Water

Koi-no-yu and Bishamonten-no-yu are two foot baths in Matsuzaki. Both allow you to cook eggs using hot spring water. Their shared appeal is therefore not just the foot baths themselves, but also the use of spring water for cooking. In contrast to Yotsudeami, the focus shifts from a fishing technique to a practical use of hot water. If you would like to include this in your plans, ask locally about the facilities currently available.

The Suigosai of Matsuzaki Shrine

The Suigosai of Matsuzaki Shrine combines a boat procession with a religious ritual. At the foot of Kamegatabana Castle, the shrine’s sacred power is received by boat. The boat then travels around Lake Tōgō to a festival site on the lake. A religious ritual featuring the Urayasu-no-mai dance takes place there. The sequence is essential to understanding the festival: the shrine’s sacred power is received first, followed by the journey across the lake and then the ritual at the festival site. The boat is thus part of the procession, while the dance belongs to the religious ritual. The Suigosai is listed as taking place on July 20. If you would like to include the festival in your travel plans, check the date before your trip.

These attractions raise different planning considerations: July 20 is the date to note for the Suigosai, while you should check the current facilities locally for the foot baths. Yotsudeami, by contrast, focuses on a traditional fishing technique and its surviving installations in Matsuzaki.

For a broader travel overview: Tohaku District.