Toyama Bay Firefly Squid

Hotaru-ika, the firefly squid, lives at two to four hundred metres in Toyama Bay and comes up at night in spring to spawn. The bay's shape - a deep trench running close to shore - concentrates them, and set nets take them in the small hours; as the nets are lifted the squid discharge photophores along their arms and bodies and the water in the net glows a strong blue. Tour boats leave Namerikawa at about three in the morning through April and May to watch the hauling, returning at dawn. Whether there is a good showing depends on the run and the weather, and blank nights happen. On some nights squid wash up on the beach and glow in the surf, which cannot be arranged. The Hotaruika Museum beside the port keeps live squid through the season and runs a darkened tank demonstration, which is the reliable alternative.

What you actually see

• Nets glowing blue - squid discharging photophores as the set nets are lifted.
• A three in the morning boat - tours from Namerikawa returning at dawn.
• The bay's trench - deep water close inshore concentrating the run.
• The museum tank - live squid and a darkened demonstration through the season.

When to go

April and May for the boats; March to June for the season. A night and a morning.

Honest expectations

Boats sail at three in the morning and are cancelled in swell. Blank nights with few squid do happen and are not refunded as a rule. Tours book out well ahead. The museum demonstration is the dependable option if the boats fail.

Nearby

Toyama city is south-west; the Tateyama range is inland.