Goldfish scooping contest held in Nara

NHK -- Aug 19

More than 2,000 people tested their skills at scooping up goldfish at an annual event in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on Sunday.

The event was held in the city of Yamatokoriyama, a major goldfish farming region in the country. Participants equipped with a paper scoop each competed to capture as many goldfish as possible in three minutes from a water tank containing about 1,000.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the event, the organizers had called on people around the world to participate this year in what they call a "world championship."

About 50 people from nine countries, including the United States and Britain took part.

The game requires speed and skill as the paper net is very fragile.

A 17-year-old local man won in the adult individual category. He scooped 70 fish to beat 49 other contestants in the final.