Maki Kanazawa, 31, has realized her long-held ambition of becoming a fisherwoman in an area where women had been banned from boarding fishing boats by tradition.

Kanazawa, who loved fish since she was a child, dreamed of becoming a fisherwoman and majored in oceanography at university. But she abandoned her plans due to opposition from her family.

While working for a department store and a shipping company, however, she obtained ship and radio licenses. She learned about fixed-net fishing company Haidaoshiki of Owase, Mie Prefecture, at a fishers' seminar for women and started working for the company after several days of experience.