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Friendly Fish Rule Undersea Kingdom Off Sado Island; Kobudai Known For Large Size, Distinctive Faces

Kaname Yoneyama / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yamato, who became the boss kobudai in Akaiwa after Benkei vanished from the area, swims close to divers without any hint of fear on July 11.

By Yasuyuki Yamada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:47 JST, September 7, 2024

SADO ISLAND, Niigata — In the small settlement of Kitakoura in northern Sado Island, Kenkichi Nanto greets some familiar faces.

“Mr. Nanto, how are you?” asks one visitor.

“Ah, you’ve arrived,” Nanto replies. Nanto, 85, is the oldest skipper of the recreational fishing boats that take divers from the settlement to a diving spot called Akaiwa about 500 meters off the coast. The divers come here hoping to glimpse kobudai fish living in and around Akaiwa, which is about 20 meters below the surface.

Yasuyuki Yamada / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Kenkichi Nanto, who has watched over both kobudai and divers in waters near his home for decades, is seen hard at work on July 30.

Kobudai, called Asian sheepshead wrasse in English, are known for the large bump on their head and protruding jaw. Adult kobudai can exceed 1 meter in length. Those found off Sado will swim right up to divers and are popular for their friendly nature.

Nanto became a fisherman after graduating from junior high school. He caught sazae turban shells and other shellfish, using a glass-bottomed box to find them. One day, this method brought him face to face with a kobudai in the sea for the first time. “I was surprised to see a fish that big,” Nanto recalled.

Before long, Nanto’s acquaintances encouraged him to make the area into a diving spot. Some local fishermen opposed this move, but Nanto repeatedly held discussions with them and eventually won them over. The fishermen went diving in the area time and time again to get the kobudai accustomed to people.

Kaname Yoneyama / The Yomiuri Shimbun
**Top:** Benkei, the previous boss kobudai, is seen in 2009. **Bottom:** Kojiro, a strong-willed kobudai who attempted to become the alpha male despite his slightly smaller size, swims through the sea on July 10.

A string of boss kobudai have reigned over Akaiwa through the years. According to the Sado Scuba Diving Association Secretariat, the kobudai that sparked the area’s popularity was called Benkei. This fish even appeared in a French nature documentary film called “Oceans” and wore the kobudai boss crown for 22 years. Benkei’s successor as the top kobudai, Yamato, still frolics with visiting divers.

This year, a slightly smaller kobudai called Kojiro challenged Yamato in a bid to usurp him and even pursued some of the female fish.

“Generational change is just the way of the world. It’s true for humans, too,” Nanto said with a smile. “Even I don’t know how long I can keep doing this, but I want to leave Kitakoura’s treasure to the next generation.”