2 to 6 miles off the coastj and the fishing grounds for skipjack were all 

 within 10 miles of the coasto 



As a result of the fishing grounds' lying so near the coast the season 

 necessarily began when the fish appeared within the operating range of 

 the fishing boats and ended when they departed. Positive measures such 

 as following the schools were unknown and the fishery was operated 

 entirely on a passive basis. 



The following is a sketch of developments at various places during 

 the period of the coastal fishery, 



(1) The Makurazaki area of Kagoshima Prefecture., 



A regular skipjack fishery has been carried on in this area for about 

 350 yearSo Technical instruction was received from the Kii and Tosa areas 

 and the boats used were chiefly powered by sails and oarSo The fishing 

 grounds were within several miles of the coast, and the boats, which were 

 made of wood, were of the box-type construction peculiar to this area. 

 The fishing season was the earliest of any place in Japan, the catch was 

 stable, and a great many people depended for their living on skipjack 

 fishing, 



(2) Kochi Prefecture area 



About A50 years ago fishermen of Kumanoura in Kishu, who had taken 

 skipjack off Ashizuri Misaki, drifted in to Tosa and taught skipjack fish- 

 ing to the people of this arefio 



(3) Katsuura area of Wakayama Prefecture 



Skipjack fishing in Japan really started in this region and the 

 techniques used here have spread throughout the country. The year in which 

 the fishery began here is unknown, but it is prior to those cited above. 

 The most flourishing period in this region was from the first years of the 

 Meiji Era /^about 1868_7 to around 1888, the fishing being done at this 

 time from seven-oared Japanese=style boats. The boats were about 8 feet 

 wide by UO feet long, manned by a crew of 15, and propelled by seven oars. 

 The fishing grounds were generally 5 to 6 miles off the coast, 12 miles 

 at the farthest. It Tiras day fishing, the fishermen assembling at the 

 boat-owner's place about 1;00 a,m, to go out fishing and returning at any 

 time from noon to 63OO p.m. In other words they fished mainly in the 

 morning and one boat took from 500 to 2,000 fish per day. The season was 

 from the Ath to the 7th month of the old calendar and, as the local say- 

 ing "When the grain is the color of loquats, we must go and fish for 

 skipjack off Ida," shows, the fishing usually began in the Shingu and Ida 

 areas between April and June, 



il) Shizuoka Prefectur'= area 



The origin of the skipjack fishery in this area is unknown, but it 

 probably began before the Tempo Era / 1830_y. At that time Japanese-style 



