Maze, one of the most beautiful villages in Japan The ayu, or sweetfish, is prized in Japan for its sweet flavor. Residents of Maze (pronounced “mah-zay”) have spared no effort to conserve the natural environment of the sweetfish as an important part of the Maze culinary heritage. The sweetfish is sensitive to its living conditions, and volunteers have been working since the 1940s to maintain the pure water of the Maze River. They have even designated surrounding forests as “fish conservation forests.”