[Yukio's Local Stories #01] The Blue Star Sea of Toyama Bay: What exactly turns the sea blue, creating this natural wonder?
YUKIO Regional Stories #01
Each "YUKIO" hides a small story about a region in Japan. This time, we take you to Toyama Prefecture in Japan to discover a natural wonder only found there – the firefly squid.
The Glowing Squid: What is a Firefly Squid?
The Japanese name for "firefly squid" is "ホタルイカ" – "ホタル" means firefly, and "イカ" means squid, so together it means "glowing squid".
This squid has approximately 1,000 light-emitting organs all over its body, distributed in its eyes, tentacles, and abdomen, allowing it to glow freely. The glowing isn't just for show; it's a survival skill: hunting, mating, and scaring away predators – all these abilities rely on these thousand light-emitting points.
Toyama Bay's "Blue Starry Sea": A Limited-Time View from March to June Annually
Every year from March to June, the surface of Toyama Bay displays a dreamlike and mysterious glowing band, like blue-green jewels. The Japanese call this phenomenon "海の銀河" – the Milky Way of the Sea.
Why does this phenomenon occur? Because firefly squids swim from the deep sea to the shore, gathering in shallow waters to lay their eggs, and then return to the open sea the next morning.
Firefly squids can be found in many parts of Japan, but the large-scale schooling phenomenon where hundreds of thousands of them approach the coast simultaneously is almost exclusively seen in Toyama Bay.
Japan's Special Natural Monument
Precisely because this phenomenon is rare and beautiful, to protect the firefly squid's spawning ecosystem and this natural wonder, the approximately 15-kilometer stretch of sea in Toyama Bay, from the left bank of the Joganji River estuary to Uozu Port (extending about 1,260 meters offshore at high tide), has been designated as a "Special Natural Monument of Japan."
Clarification! "I" am actually not protected...
However, there's an interesting misconception worth clarifying: what's designated as a "Special Natural Monument" is actually the sea surface where firefly squids school, not the firefly squid itself.
"What's designated as a Special Natural Monument for protection is the sea surface where we school, not my actual being... Therefore, I am not protected and can still be eaten by humans at will."
── A firefly squid laments
In fact, firefly squid is still a common seasonal ingredient in the Toyama area – what's protected is the ecosystem and the natural phenomenon itself, not prohibiting the consumption of this ingredient.
Bring Toyama Bay Home
Now that you've learned my story, are you ready to take me home?
Additionally, Toyama has many other regional specialties; take them all home after seeing them!
YUKIO Regional Stories #01｜Toyama Bay Firefly Squid Edition
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