also: うじょう
cormorant fisherman
A traditional fisherman who uses trained cormorants to catch fish, especially ayu. Associated with the ukai (鵜飼い) tradition in Gifu and other regions.
The cormorant fishermen of the Nagara River are designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
At night, the cormorant fisherman lights a bonfire and controls the cormorants.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading うしょう is more common than うじょう.
Alternate reading; less common than うしょう.
Compound of 鵜 (u, 'cormorant') and 匠 (shō, 'master' or 'artisan'). The reading うじょう is a variant, possibly reflecting an older or dialectal pronunciation.