Net-fishing using hobikisen was contrived of in 1880 by Ryohei Orimoto living in Kasumigaura-machi as a means of fishing for shirauo , or Japanese icefish. For about 100 years since then until 1967, hobikisen fishing was the predominant fish-catching method in Kasumigaura fishery to fish for lake smelt. Hobikisen drift sideways by catching the wind on its sails while fishing. This fishing method falls under the category of net-casting, though it's operation method is close to but not the same with it. The biggest difference lies in tsurinawa ropes from the yard of a boat. It would be safe to say that this tsurinawa is the most significant invention by Ryohei and is the very basis of the mechanism of hobikisen .

Ryohei Orimoto was willing to share his invention with many other fishermen around Kasumigaura, placing what was in the common good of the local community above his personal profit. Hobikisen can be regarded as the only fishing boat in the world that moves sideways when fishing based on the principle of kites. When there was no wind, fishing was not conducted. This fishing method was also consistent with the dispensation of the nature. Hobikisen can be said to be the world-class cultural asset of Kasumigaura.