Handmade fans await return of tourists this summer in Gifu

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:16 JST, May 30, 2022

An artisan makes mizu uchiwa fans at Sumii Tomijiro Shoten, a specialty shop in Gifu City. The traditional fan, made by gluing thin washi paper, is coated with a natural varnish over summery patterns such as ayu and morning glories, to create its translucent appearance, like water (“mizu” in Japanese). The shop plans to make 400 fans this year, about 100 more than last year, as tourists are expected to return to the city to see traditional ukai fishing using cormorants for the first time in three years on the Nagara River.