Last checked: October 27, 2026
Want to be fishing when the sun drops into Sukumo Bay? This KKday package puts you on a shared boat for about three hours, then sends you to bed in the same guesthouse where you started.
You meet at 15:00 at the Sukumo Box guesthouse in Katajima (片島), a harbor district of Sukumo (宿毛) in western Kochi. Rods, reels and a guide are included. So is one night’s stay.
We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s pages, Kochi Prefecture’s charter boat list, the Japan Meteorological Agency and the transport companies’ timetables. We say so when we couldn’t confirm something.
SHIKOKU REGION
Katajima, Sukumo, Kochi
At a Glance
- What: about 3 hours of boat fishing, then one night at the Sukumo Box guesthouse
- Price: from about US$70 on KKday (as of October 2026). The total changes with your group size, so check the total on the booking screen
- Included: the fishing trip, one night’s stay, insurance and rental gear
- Not included: dinner, fish cutting and a fee for lost lures
- Ages: 7 to 80
- Minimum group: 3 people
- Meet: about 15:00 in the Sukumo Box lobby, Katajima
- Language: plan on a briefing in Japanese
- Open: October to June (closed July to September)
- Free cancellation: up to 8 days before
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is This Trip Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- travel with children aged 7 or older. Fishing and a bed come in one booking
- are touring Kochi or western Shikoku and like an evening on the water
- own no fishing gear. Rental gear is free
- want a sunset on the bay. KKday says you can sometimes see the Daruma sunset (だるま夕日, daruma yūhi)
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- need an English-speaking guide. KKday lists the instruction language as Japanese
- plan to travel from July to September. The trip doesn’t run then
- must have a private room. The listing doesn’t say whether you get one
- are a couple. The minimum is 3 people
- have a flight home before about 15:50 the next day. The trip’s timing leaves little slack (see the return section below)
When It Runs: Season Calendar
📅 When this trip runs
Open Part of the month Closed
KKday says the trip is held “year-round except July, August, and September.” Pick your date in KKday’s date selector.
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
June is the rainy season. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) puts the normal rainy season in Shikoku at about June 5 to July 17. June is also Sukumo’s wettest month, at 328.6 mm. The same agency’s long-term average is 0.4 typhoons approaching Shikoku in October, against 1.0 in September.
Evenings on the water get cold in winter. These are Sukumo’s normal daily highs and lows:
| Month | Daily high (°C) | Daily low (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| October | 24.2 | 15.7 |
| November | 19.1 | 10.3 |
| December | 14.0 | 5.3 |
| January | 11.6 | 3.3 |
| February | 12.7 | 3.8 |
| March | 15.8 | 6.6 |
| April | 20.1 | 11.0 |
| May | 23.8 | 15.4 |
| June | 25.8 | 19.6 |
Source: JMA, Sukumo normals for 1991–2020, checked October 2026.
The lows come after dark, but the boat is out until about 18:00. From December to March, we’d pack a warm jacket, because the daily lows run 3.3 to 6.6 degrees.
What the Afternoon and Evening Look Like
15:00
Meet at the lobby
Be in the Sukumo Box lobby at 9-7 Katajima, Sukumo. KKday says the meeting time shifts a little with the season
15:00–16:00
The boat leaves
KKday says departure is around 15:00–16:00
About 3 hours
Fish in the bay
The operator says the boat fishes inside Sukumo Bay, about 15 minutes from the port
About 18:00
Back on land
KKday lists the fishing as 15:00–18:00. The whole activity is listed as 4 hours
Evening
Optional owner’s dinner
¥2,500 per person, using your catch. You pay on the spot
10:00
Check out
The next morning, you leave the guesthouse
Source: KKday listing and the operator’s website, checked October 2026.
The operator says check-in opens at 16:00, which falls while you’re on the water. We couldn’t confirm whether you can drop your bags earlier. If you arrive before 15:00, ask KKday before you book.
About that sunset: the Sukumo City Tourist Association says the Daruma sunset can be seen at Kan’yō-jima (咸陽島) from mid-November to mid-February. KKday gives no months for the boat. If the Daruma sunset is why you’re booking, we’d aim for that window, but it isn’t promised.
How the Fishing Works
Rental gear is free
KKday includes equipment rental and a guide. Lost lures cost extra.
You don’t pick the fish
KKday doesn’t list what you’ll catch or the fishing method.
Dress to get wet
KKday asks for clothes that can get wet.
The operator’s fishing page, written for its island trips, says life jackets are provided and rods, reels and lures are free. It doesn’t say the same applies to the Sukumo Bay trip. Ask KKday before you go.
What anglers have caught in Sukumo Bay (a different boat)
The Sukumo City Tourist Association keeps a log of 282 catch reports from 2019 to October 2023, mostly from one charter boat. This is not the boat on this trip, and nothing here is a promise. It shows what Sukumo Bay can hold.
January – February
- Largescale blackfish (gure, グレ)method not reported
- Blackhead seabream (chinu, チヌ)rod fishing
- Red seabreamtai-raba
March – May
- Red seabream (most reported)tai-raba
- Japanese amberjack (hamachi)jigging
- Greater amberjack (kanpachi)jigging
Also reported
- Bigfin reef squid (April–May)tip-run
- Kaminari-ika (カミナリイカ, April–May)tip-run
June
- Red seabreamtai-raba
- Areolate groupertai-raba
October
- Areolate groupertai-raba
- Greater amberjackjiggingtai-raba
- Japanese amberjackjiggingtai-raba
Also reported
- Bigfin reef squidmethod not reported
November – December
- Largescale blackfishmethod not reported
- Red seabreamtai-raba
- Areolate groupertai-raba
The methods in plain words
- Tai-raba (タイラバ) — a weighted lure with a skirt, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slowly
- Jigging — a metal lure jerked up and down through the water
- Tip-run (ティップラン) — squid fishing from a drifting boat with a squid jig, watching the rod tip for a bite
Source: Sukumo City Tourist Association, Sukumo Bay catch reports (2019 to October 2023, a different boat), checked October 2026.
The 282 reports list no sabiki fishing and no aji (アジ), tachiuo (タチウオ) or kisu (キス). If you picture a pail of small fish, expect something different.
Do I need a fishing license?
Not to fish from a charter boat with a rod. The Fisheries Agency says foreign visitors may fish with a rod or hand line in Japan’s territorial and inland waters. On a boat of 3 tons or more, that means a registered charter boat or fishing boat. The operator is on Kochi Prefecture’s list of registered charter fishing boat operators. For prefectural rules on catches like spiny lobster and abalone, see our fishing license guide.
Source: Fisheries Agency, “Fishing by foreigners”; Kochi Prefecture, list of registered charter fishing boat operators (as of February 28, 2026), checked October 2026.
Before you board, the prefecture asks passengers to check the boat’s registration certificate and insurance, and to write your name on the passenger list.
Eating Your Catch
KKday doesn’t include dinner or fish cutting. Here are your three options:
Dinner with the owner
KKday lists an optional dinner using your catch for ¥2,500 per person, paid locally.
Cut it yourself
The guesthouse kitchen lets you cut your own fish. The operator rents a cooking set for ¥500: cutting board, deba knife, stove, rice and seasonings.
Ask the staff to cut it
KKday lists fish cutting as not included. It doesn’t give a price.
If nobody in your group has cut a whole fish before, we’d book the ¥2,500 dinner. The cooking set has a deba knife, but nothing says anyone helps you use it. We couldn’t confirm what dinner includes if the day’s catch is small, so ask KKday.
⚠️ Raw fish and anisakis — Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare warns that Anisakis larvae live in seafood such as mackerel, horse mackerel, sardines and squid. Eating them raw can cause severe stomach pain, usually within hours to a few days. Freezing at −20°C for at least 24 hours, or cooking at 70°C or higher (or 60°C for 1 minute), kills them. Vinegar, salt, soy sauce and wasabi do not
Sukumo Box: The Guesthouse
The operator says the guesthouse has 5 rooms, mixing dormitory and private rooms. It holds about 10 to 13 guests and is non-smoking. It’s a 2-minute walk from the municipal ferry terminal at Katajima Port and about 2 km from Sukumo Station.
Rooms
Air-conditioned. Shared showers and toilets.
Kitchen and laundry
A shared fridge, an ice maker and a kitchen. A washer-dryer costs ¥500 a load and may be unavailable in busy periods.
Free items
Coffee, tea, a toothbrush, tableware, a microwave, a toaster and a rental bicycle. Wi-Fi and parking are free too.
Paid items
Towels are ¥100. The cooking set is ¥500.
Times
Check-in from 16:00. Check-out by 10:00.
KKday’s included items don’t list breakfast. Pack something for the morning, or eat in town before you leave.
⚠️ Private room or dorm? — The operator’s site shows both room types, but KKday doesn’t say which one your booking gets. Ask KKday before you book
Will my family get a private room?
We couldn’t confirm it. The guesthouse has both dormitories and private rooms, but the listing doesn’t say which one this trip uses. If a private room matters to you, ask KKday before you pay.
We’d bring our own towel. The guesthouse charges ¥100 for towels, and KKday asks you to wear clothes that can get wet.
Getting to Sukumo
Sukumo sits in the far west of Kochi. Here are the routes that reach Katajima before 15:00. The train fares are as of October 2026.
From Kochi Station and Kochi Ryoma Airport
If you’re flying into Kochi Ryoma Airport (高知龍馬空港), take the airport bus to Kochi Station. It takes about 25 minutes. Tosaden Kotsu runs it, and the fare rises from ¥900 to ¥1,000 on November 1, 2026. Tosaden lists a Dekasu IC card (ですか), contactless credit cards and PayPay as ways to pay.
From Kochi Station, take a limited express (Ashizuri) to Nakamura and change to a local train for Sukumo. Plan on about 2 hours 30 minutes with the change.
| Leave Kochi | Reach Sukumo Station | Bus from Sukumo Station |
|---|---|---|
| 09:51 | 12:06 | 12:34 |
| 11:49 | 14:10 | 14:14 (a 4-minute transfer) |
Source: JR Odekake Net and Jorudan, checked October 2026.
The fare with the limited express reserved seat is ¥5,630 on weekdays and ¥5,830 on Saturday. The 13:49 train reaches Sukumo at 16:08, which is too late.
If you’re flying in, we’d take the 09:51 from Kochi. It leaves a 28-minute margin before the 12:34 bus, while the 11:49 leaves only 4 minutes. If you miss the 14:14 bus, the next one is at 17:00, so take a taxi (about 10 minutes). We couldn’t confirm the taxi fare.
Rail passes: the Japan Rail Pass doesn’t cover the section beyond Kubokawa (窪川), which Tosa Kuroshio Railway runs, so you pay a separate fare there. The ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass covers all Tosa Kuroshio lines in non-reserved seats, but not the bus. It costs ¥12,000 for 3 days or ¥20,000 for 7 days, for passes issued from October 1, 2026.
From Matsuyama
Take the limited express Uwakai to Uwajima (宇和島), then the Uwajima Bus (宇和島自動車) to Sukumo Station. The bus takes about 1 hour 54 minutes and costs ¥1,900.
One example is leaving Matsuyama at 08:11 and reaching Sukumo Station at 12:33. The total is ¥5,110 (Jorudan). The 12:34 bus is one minute later, so don’t count on it. We’d take the 14:14 bus or a taxi, which leaves time for lunch.
From Matsuyama Airport, a bus leaving at 10:05 reaches Sukumo at 14:18. The 14:14 bus is gone by then, so plan a taxi (about 10 minutes).
The bus’s free baggage allowance is 10 kg, with sides up to 30 cm and length up to 1 m. Larger items cost extra.
From Osaka by night bus
The Shimanto Blue Liner (しまんとブルーライナー) leaves Namba Minatomachi (なんば湊町) at 22:35 and reaches Sukumo Station at 7:28. The one-way fare is ¥10,200. You then have more than seven hours before the 15:00 meeting. We’d leave your bags in a Sukumo Station coin locker and walk around town.
By car
Kochi Ryoma Airport has rental car counters on the 1st floor (Toyota, Nissan, Nippon, Orix, Times, Budget and Sky). The airport’s website puts the drive to Sukumo at 155 km and about 3 hours 30 minutes by expressway. The Ekiren rental office at Kochi Station has been closed since September 22, 2026, so we’d rent at the airport. Parking at Sukumo Box is free, per KKday.
Sukumo Station to Katajima
A Kochi Seinan Kotsu (高知西南交通) bus takes about 7 minutes. It leaves from Stop 2 at Sukumo Station for the Katajima quay (片島岸壁) stop. We couldn’t confirm the fare.
| Day | Departs Sukumo Station |
|---|---|
| Weekdays | 07:33, 08:40, 09:30, 12:34, 14:14, 17:00 |
| Saturdays and Sundays | 09:30, 12:34, 14:14, 17:00 |
Source: Kochi Seinan Kotsu timetable (revised October 1, 2025), checked October 2026.
The guesthouse is a 2-minute walk from the ferry terminal. We couldn’t confirm that the Katajima quay stop sits right next to it, so check the map. A taxi takes about 10 minutes. The station has taxis and coin lockers.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
The Next Morning: Getting Back
Check-out is 10:00. These are the buses and trains that bring you to Kochi Ryoma Airport.
| Leave the Katajima quay stop | Reach the airport | How |
|---|---|---|
| 08:50 (weekdays only) | 12:00 | Sukumo Station 09:05, direct Ashizuri 6 to Kochi 11:05, bus at 11:30 |
| 09:40 | 14:02 | Sukumo Station 10:39, change at Nakamura onto Ashizuri 8, Kochi 13:05, bus at 13:30 |
Source: Kochi Seinan Kotsu, JR Odekake Net, Jorudan and Tosaden Kotsu, checked October 2026.
Tosaden advises taking a bus that reaches the airport one hour before your flight. These are the airport’s afternoon departures for October 25 to November 30, 2026:
- To Haneda: ANA566 at 13:20, JAL496 at 15:50, ANA568 at 16:20
- To Narita: Jetstar JJP426 at 14:40
- To Itami: ANA1608 at 14:40
Can we catch a flight home the next day?
Yes, if it leaves at 15:50 or later. The 09:40 bus gets you to the airport at 14:02, which is too late for the 14:40 flights. On weekdays, the 08:50 bus gets you there by 12:00, in time for the 13:20 flight to Haneda. If your flight leaves earlier than that, this overnight package doesn’t fit.
If you’re going to Matsuyama Airport instead, a bus leaves Sukumo Station at 10:47 and arrives at 14:40. Check that against your flight.
Booking, Cancellation and Bad Weather
KKday confirms bookings within 1 business day. If the page’s English spells the city “Yasukumo,” it’s the same Sukumo.
Language
The listing’s service-language line includes English, but the instruction language is Japanese. Plan on a Japanese briefing. KKday doesn’t say how to reach the operator in English. If you speak no Japanese, we’d write your questions down first. Then ask KKday about the room and the meeting details before you book.
| English | Japanese | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is Katajima Port? | 片島港はどこですか | Katajima-kō wa doko desu ka |
| Sukumo Box, please (to a taxi driver) | すくもBOXまでお願いします | Sukumo Bokkusu made onegaishimasu |
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of October 2026):
If a typhoon stops public transport the day before, the cancellation is free. Earlier cancellations cost the normal fee, even in a typhoon. KKday starts the refund within 15 days.
Weather
⚠️ Trips can change or be canceled — KKday says the contents may change or be canceled depending on the weather and sea conditions. The listing doesn’t spell out the refund, so ask KKday before you book
Paying for things, scene by scene
| Scene | How you pay |
|---|---|
| The trip and the night’s stay | In advance on KKday |
| Dinner, fish cutting, lost lures | On the spot. We couldn’t confirm how, so bring yen cash |
| Towels, cooking set, laundry | On the spot. We couldn’t confirm how, so bring yen cash |
| Airport bus | Dekasu IC card, contactless card or PayPay |
| Kochi Seinan Kotsu bus | Dekasu works. We couldn’t confirm other cards |
| Tosa Kuroshio Railway trains | We found no IC or card information. Bring cash |
Where to Stay Before or After
The package includes your night in Katajima. Add a hotel in Sukumo if you’d rather arrive the day before or stay a second night.
If you’re flying to Kochi and don’t want to race the 4-minute bus transfer, we’d arrive the day before. That also puts you in Sukumo for the 15:00 meeting without time pressure.
- Akisawa Hotel (秋沢ホテル) — On Klook, rated 3.8 from 42 reviews
- Hotel Matsuya (ホテルマツヤ) — On Klook, no rating yet. The hotel says check-in is 15:00 and check-out is 10:00
Prices change by date. Check the hotel pages before you book.
What to Bring
🎒 Your packing list
- ☐ Clothes that can get wet
- ☐ A towel (the guesthouse charges ¥100)
- ☐ Yen in cash, because we couldn’t confirm card payment for dinner or extras
- ☐ A warm jacket from December to March (Sukumo’s lows are 3.3 to 6.6 degrees)
- ☐ Seasickness medicine if you tend to need it, because KKday gives no seasickness advice
- ☐ A data connection. Our eSIM guide for Japan covers the options
We couldn’t confirm a toilet on the boat. We’d use the guesthouse toilet right before you board.
Around Sukumo
- Kan’yō-jima (咸陽島) — A small island in Sukumo’s Oshima district. You can walk across at low tide. The Sukumo City Tourist Association lists the Daruma sunset here from mid-November to mid-February
- Okinoshima (沖の島) and Ugurushima (鵜来島) — Municipal ferries leave Katajima Port at 7:00 and 14:30
- Kashiwajima (柏島) (Otsuki town), Cape Ashizuri (足摺岬) and the Shimanto River (四万十川) — These are a car ride away. We couldn’t confirm public transport times from Sukumo
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
FAQ
QIs the trip in English?
No, plan on Japanese. KKday lists Japanese as the instruction language, even though English appears in its service-language line.
QHow old do you have to be?
You need to be 7 to 80. That is KKday’s age range.
QCan 2 people join?
No. KKday’s minimum is 3 participants. If you’re a couple, message KKday before you pay.
QDoes it run in July, August or September?
No. KKday says the trip runs year-round except those three months.
QIs breakfast included?
No. KKday’s included items don’t list it.
QCan I take my catch home?
We couldn’t confirm it for this trip. The operator’s island-trip page says you can take your catch home, but KKday doesn’t say.
Sources
- KKday listing for this trip, checked October 27, 2026
- The operator’s websites (guesthouse and fishing pages), checked October 2026
- Kochi Prefecture, list of registered charter fishing boat operators (as of February 28, 2026), checked October 2026
- Kochi Prefecture, “For those using charter fishing boats,” checked October 2026
- Fisheries Agency, “Fishing by foreigners”
- JMA, Sukumo normals, plus JMA’s rainy-season and typhoon averages
- Sukumo City Tourist Association
- JR Odekake Net timetable and Jorudan
- Tosaden Kotsu airport bus
- Kochi Seinan Kotsu timetable (PDF) and night bus
- Uwajima Bus
- Kochi Ryoma Airport
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, anisakis food poisoning
- Tosa Kuroshio Railway, Sukumo Station
- JR Shikoku ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass (PDF) and Japan Rail Pass routes
Ready to Book?
Hook an evening on Sukumo Bay, then sleep a 2-minute walk from the ferry terminal. This package suits families with children 7 or older, groups of 3 or more, and travelers who’d rather borrow the gear. Plan on a Japanese briefing, and check the private-room question first.
