Setouchi Fishing Journal
Fishing in Japan by Region
Pick a region on the map or from the list to find our fishing guides for that area.
Pale areas: guides coming soon.
- Hokkaido9 guides
- TohokuAomori, Yamagata2 guides
- KantoChiba, Kanagawa, Tochigi, Tokyo9 guides
- ChubuFukui, Ishikawa, Nagano, Shizuoka, Yamanashi7 guides
- KansaiHyogo, Mie, Osaka, Shiga, Wakayama11 guides
- ChugokuOkayama, Shimane, Yamaguchi4 guides
- ShikokuKochi, Tokushima2 guides
- KyushuKagoshima, Nagasaki4 guides
- Okinawa8 guides
Plan Your Trip: Travel Tips
Before you pick a region, sort out the basics: whether you need a fishing license, how to bring your rods, and how to stay connected.
How to Take Fishing Rods and Reels Home from Japan (2026 Tax-Free and Shipping Guide)
Bought a rod or reel in Japan? We cover the new tax-free refund at the airport kiosk, which trains and…
Do You Need a Fishing License in Japan? Sea, River and Lake Rules for Travelers (2026)
No national license, but plenty of rules: fishing rights, river tickets, banned catches, limits for foreign visitors, bluefin tuna registration…
Best eSIM for Japan (2026): Which Works From Cities to Rural Areas, Islands and Fishing Spots
Five Japan eSIMs compared for travelers, from the cities to rural areas, islands and fishing spots: which networks they name,…
How to Bring Your Own Fishing Rods to Japan: Airline Rules, Trains and Getting to Your Spot (2026)
Bringing your own rods to Japan? Airline rules for rod cases, hooks and reel batteries, the 2026 power bank rule,…
Ice Fishing at Lake Anenuma, Misawa: Catch Wakasagi Through the Ice and Eat Them Fried (Booked on KKday)
Wakasagi ice fishing from a tent on Lake Anenuma in Misawa, Aomori, with gear, holes and a taste of your fried catch included. What the KKday tour covers, the January to February season and why…
Evening Squid Fishing in the Oki Islands, Shimane: A Private Boat at Sunset (Booked on KKday)
Fish for white squid from a private boat at sunset in the Oki Islands, then eat it on board. We cover the KKday booking, the season, the ferries and buses, and the one hotel that…
Fishing Restaurant in Namba, Osaka: Catch a Sea Bream at Tsurikichi and Eat It (Booked on KKday)
Catch a sea bream in the tank at Jumbo Tsuribune Tsurikichi in Namba and eat it as sashimi and sushi in a set meal. We compare the two KKday options, extra costs, kids’ rules, trains…
Mountain Stream Fishing in Hiruzen, Okayama: Three Courses, Gear Included (Booked on KKday)
Fish a clear mountain river in the Hiruzen Highlands of Okayama with gear and bait included. We compare the three KKday courses, the seasons, the trains from Okayama, Osaka and Yonago, and what we couldn’t…
Ice Fishing at Lake Shinotsu Near Sapporo: Wakasagi in a Heated Hut, With Pickup (Booked on KKday)
Winter ice fishing for wakasagi at Lake Shinotsu, about an hour from Sapporo. We compare the two KKday trips, pickup or meet at the lake, and cover the December to March season, the cold, what’s…
Matsuura Aji Fishing Day Trip: Catch Horse Mackerel and Make Aji Fry on Aoshima Island, Nagasaki (Booked on KKday)
A full day in Matsuura, Nagasaki: fish for horse mackerel from a boat in Imari Bay, cook three kinds of aji fry with a local on Aoshima Island, then make a dorayaki in town. What…
Shore Fishing Near Sapporo: A Beginner Sabiki Lesson at Kotan Port, Ishikari (Booked on KKday)
A guided 2-hour sabiki fishing lesson at Kotan Fishing Port in Ishikari, about an hour from Sapporo. What the KKday listing says and leaves out, the April–December season, what to wear, and how to get…
Swim Fishing on Amami Oshima: Snorkel and Catch Reef Wrasse at Kuninao Beach (Booked on KKday)
Float on the surface with a snorkel and catch small wrasse at Kuninao Beach on Amami Oshima. What the KKday listing includes, what it leaves out, sea temperatures by month, and how to reach the…
Kinko Bay Fishing in Kagoshima: A Dawn Boat Trip Beneath Sakurajima, Booked on Klook
An early-morning boat fishing trip on Kinko Bay, with rods and tackle provided and a simple-English captain. What the Klook listing covers, what it leaves out, what the bay’s boats catch by season, and how…
Bass Fishing on Lake Biwa, Home of the World-Record Bass: Private Tour from Kyoto (2026 Guide)
A private guided bass fishing trip on Lake Biwa with pickup from your Kyoto hotel, booked on Klook. Plans, start times, the no-release rule, the fishing ticket question and what’s included.
Guided Fishing in Otaru: Hotel Pickup, Gear Included, 40 Minutes from Sapporo (2026 Guide)
A guide meets you near Otaru Station and you fish from a harbor wharf for about 150 minutes, with gear, bait and a life jacket included. What it costs on KKday, the Japanese-only guiding, and…
Lake Yamanaka Wakasagi Fishing: A Heated Dome Boat with Mt. Fuji Views (2026 Guide)
Fish for wakasagi smelt from a heated dome boat on Lake Yamanaka, with rod, bait and a lesson included. The lake permit, October catch reports, and the highway bus from Shinjuku.
