Samegai Trout Farm (醒井養鱒場)
Samegai Trout Farm is a prefectural facility for freshwater fish cultivation and research, located in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture. It is regarded the largest of its kind in the Orient.
Chronology
1878: Prefectural fish incubation farm was established for cultivation of Biwa trout in Lake Biwa.
1879: The farm is relocated to its present location.
1885: Ownership of the farm was transferred to the private sector.
1929: The farm was again placed under prefectural administration and became Samegai Trout farm under Shiga Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station.
1977: The farm became Samegai Trout farm under Shiga Prefecture.
1992: Fish egg gathering facility was newly built. Automatic dust filtration facility was installed in the water collection tank at the water source.
1993-1994: Automatic dust filtration facility was installed in the fish farming water conduit, and automatic feeding devices were installed in the juvenile fish pond, adult fish pond and feeding pond.
1997: Dilapidated farming ponds were removed. Wastewater treatment facility, training facility, freshwater fish observation pond, stream fishing experience pond, etc., were built.
2000: The farm became Samegai Trout farm under Shiga Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station.
Access
From Maibara Interchange, take the National Route 21 toward Ibuki-cho and Sekigahara-cho. Turn right at Samegai-ekimae intersection.
Facilities
Using the abundant water of Samegai Valley, freshwater fish that are found only in clean streams, such as red-spotted masu trout and Japanese char, as well as rainbow trout, are farmed in total land area of roughly 19 hectares. There are roughly 80 ponds of various sizes, where the number of rainbow trout is estimated at 1.6 million. There are fishing pond and restaurant which offers visitors the service of cooking trout fished at the pond for eating in the premises. There is a facility to serve drinkable stream water in the premises.
Rainbow trout farmed here is used to prepare 'Ganso Masu Sushi' (sushi with trout) lunch boxes sold at JR Maibara Station.
Adult:
Child under age 6:
High school and university students:
(Residents of the prefecture)
Adult aged over 65:
Elementary and junior high school students:
Persons with disabilities
Opening hours
8:30 - 17:00 (open throughout the year; restaurants may be closed on certain days)
Location
Kaminyu, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture