Yamatokōriyama has bred goldfish since the 18th century, and every August it hosts the National Goldfish Scooping Championship: three minutes, one paper scoop, a tank of about 1,000 small goldfish. Anyone can enter (free, ballot if oversubscribed), with a Nara qualifier in July and certified qualifiers around Japan.
Why it's unique
It is the national championship and it is held only here, in a town whose identity is goldfish.
Goldfish scooping is a festival-stall game everywhere in Japan. Competing in the national title for it, as a member of the public, is something you can only do in this town on one day a year.
Before you go
In the 2026 edition (the 31st, 23 August) a fifth-grader from Osaka won the junior section with 73 fish. Competitors stretch and get massages beforehand: it is taken seriously.
The rules page is worth reading before you go, because the scoop technique is regulated.
