At Lake Gando on the outskirts of Morioka City, the ban on smelt fishing, a winter tradition, has been lifted, and it is crowded with many anglers.
In Yabukawa, Morioka City, where Lake Gando is located, the temperature dropped to -14.5 degrees Celsius on the morning of the 20th.
In the lake, the smelt fishing, a winter tradition, has been lifted because the ice thickness exceeds 15 cm.
Many anglers visited before dawn, and at 5 am when the ban was lifted, they went out to the lake to make holes in the ice and set up windbreak tents to enjoy fishing.
According to the Iwado Lake Fisheries Cooperative, the ice thickened earlier than usual, so the ban was lifted about a week earlier, and about 1,000 people visited on the 20th.
A man in his thirties who visited from Shizukuishi-cho said, "It's sunny today and the weather is nice, so I want to fish a lot."
At Lake Iwado, observers called for diligent ventilation of the tent last year after a fisherman used fire in a closed tent and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ito Sasaki, the chief of the Iwado Lake Fisheries Cooperative, said, "I want you to be alert and enjoy smelt fishing safely."
Smelt fishing on Lake Iwado can be enjoyed until mid-March depending on the ice conditions.