The main purpose of our trip was to attend my sister-in-law’s wedding in Inuyama, 30 minutes from Nagoya. It was a nice simple wedding, the weather was beautiful but brutally hot especially for my wife in her kimono. Men have to wear a black suit and white tie. No exceptions. A black tie is for a less happy occasion.

The ceremony was held in a shrine next to Inuyama castle, the oldest original castle in Japan. The reception was unusual in that it was held on a river boat. We had dinner and played with fireworks, and watched the “ukai” or cormorant fishing.

Ukai fishing uses a team of cormorant birds on a leash to catch fish. A ring is around the birds neck to prevent them from swallowing the fish. Once the bird catches a fish, the bird handler forces the bird to disgorge the fish and throws the bird back into the water to catch another one. The birds are kept hungry.