Last checked: November 1, 2026
Ever wanted a motor to do the hard work while you wait for a tug from deep water? This trip gives you an electric reel, a small boat and one other guest.
The boat leaves Katsuura Marine Harbor in Chiba, on the Pacific side of the Boso Peninsula. It takes two guests at most. Staff show you how the electric reel works, and you try different ways of fishing. Squid is part of the plan in season, but nobody promises it.
This is Katsuura in Chiba, not Nachikatsuura in Wakayama. If you want the Wakayama one, read our Hotel Urashima guide.
Below you’ll find the meeting time, the two-person rule, why you must stay the night before, how cold it gets and what squid to expect. We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s website, train and bus timetables and Japan Meteorological Agency data. We haven’t been on the trip, and we flag what we couldn’t confirm.
KANTO REGION
Katsuura Marine Harbor, Chiba
From Tokyo: About 2 hours by Limited Express Wakashio
Getting there: No early train arrives in time, so stay in Katsuura the night before
At a Glance
- What: Electric-reel boat fishing off Katsuura, with 2 guests at most per boat
- Meeting time: 5:50 in the itinerary. The booking page showed 8:00 for December 5, so your confirmation settles it
- Length: up to 4 hours on KKday. The itinerary runs 5:50–7:30
- Price: from about US$126 per person, about US$145 on Sundays (as of November 2026)
- Group size: sign up as 2 people
- Ages: 16 to 80
- Language: English and Japanese
- Included: tour fee, waterproof clothing and boots to borrow, insurance, tax
- Not included: transport to the harbor, and a restaurant to cook your catch
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
- Bookable dates: December 1, 2026 to March 15, 2027
- Getting there: no transfer, so stay in Katsuura the night before
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is This Trip Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- are a couple or two friends who want a boat with no other guests. It takes 2 at most
- want to try deep-water fishing with a guide. Staff teach you how to use the gear and the electric reel
- don’t mind an early start and can sleep in Katsuura the night before
- like the idea of a market breakfast afterward
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- are traveling alone. The booking form starts at 2 people
- have a child under 16. The listing says ages 16 to 80
- need to catch squid. Neither KKday nor the operator promises it
- plan to ride from Tokyo that morning. No train or bus gets you there in time
- would worry about a boat with no toilet
- want your catch cooked. KKday doesn’t arrange it
When Can You Go?
📅 When the trip is on sale
Open Part of the month Closed
KKday’s date picker shows December 1, 2026 to March 15, 2027 right now. The operator says it runs all year, so check KKday for other months. A high sea or wind can cancel any trip.
Source: KKday listing and the operator’s website, checked November 2026.
Your Morning, Step by Step
Night before
Sleep in Katsuura
No early train from Tokyo reaches the harbor in time
5:50
Meet at the harbor
KKday asks you to arrive 15 minutes early and check in
6:00
Change and listen
Put on the borrowed waterproof clothing and boots, wear the life jacket, and hear the safety briefing
6:05
Board the boat
You head out to the fishing spot
At sea
Learn the reel
Staff teach you the electric reel, and you try different ways of fishing
7:30
Back in port
Staff hand over the photos and videos they took
Source: KKday listing, checked November 2026. KKday says times change with the weather.
The listing says 4 hours, but the schedule ends at 7:30. Which is right?
Both appear on KKday. The schedule leaves about an hour and a half on the water, and we couldn’t confirm what the “4 hours” covers. Check your confirmation and keep your train home flexible.
How Electric-Reel Fishing Works
Why an electric reel
Local boat shops fish for squid about 150 to 200 meters down. A heavy sinker on that much line is hard to wind up by hand, so they use electric reels. You press a button to raise and lower the rig.
What the staff teach
KKday says staff teach you how to use the gear and run the electric reel. You then try different ways of fishing. The listing mentions deep-sea fish, but it doesn’t name them.
The boat
The operator uses a British-built boat with a rigid hull and inflatable tubes (a RIB). It is registered at 2.3 tons and is about 7 meters long (6.84 m). Only two guests ride on it.
Gear, clothing and life jackets
- Clothing: KKday includes waterproof clothing and boots to borrow
- Life jacket: Wear it for the whole ride. It’s free and inflates by itself when wet
- One rule: Don’t inflate it on purpose. KKday says staff will contact you if they judge it was deliberate
Will You Catch Squid?
The honest answer: maybe. KKday says the catch depends on the sea and the weather. The operator says squid is possible depending on the season and the sea. We found no catch records for this tour.
To give you a rough idea, here is what nearby large boats report. These are big shared boats from other harbors, not this tour. Shop calendars differ by a month or two.
December
Japanese flying squid (surumeika, スルメイカ) is the main catch, with some spear squid (yariika, ヤリイカ).
January–February
Spear squid is the main catch, mostly around 180 m deep.
March
Both kinds show up in the reports.
Source: catch reports of Suzumaru (Kawatsu Port), October 2025–October 2026; Fudomaru and Wahachimaru seasonal calendars, checked November 2026. These are large shared boats, not this tour.
If you want squid, we’d book a December or January date. Shops report squid in both months, and KKday sells both. We still wouldn’t count on a bag full.
Can I keep the squid?
Yes. The operator asks you to bring your own cooler with ice or cold packs. If you don’t have one, staff hand you a plastic bag when you get off. KKday doesn’t arrange cooking.
Cold Mornings and No Toilet on Board
Katsuura’s average daily low is about 5.5°C in December, 2.9°C in January and 3.1°C in February. These are Japan Meteorological Agency averages for 1991–2020. The operator says the borrowed gear still leaves you cold in winter. It suggests warm clothes, gloves and a knit hat.
⚠️ No toilet on the boat — The operator says the marina toilet goes to club members first. Use the one at your hotel before you leave
We’d bring gloves and a knit hat, because the operator itself warns that borrowed waterproofs aren’t enough in winter.
If you need to ask where a toilet is:
| English | Japanese | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか | Toire wa doko desu ka |
Getting to Katsuura
The meeting point is Katsuura Marine Harbor (勝浦マリンハーバー), 178-3 Hamakatsuura, Katsuura City, Chiba (千葉県勝浦市浜勝浦178-3). Maps and train apps need data, so see our eSIM guide before you fly.
Why you need to stay the night before
The earliest trip we found leaves Tokyo Station at 5:42 and reaches Katsuura Station at 7:56. The harbor is another 27 minutes on foot. That misses both the 5:50 and the 8:00 time. The first highway bus from Tokyo reaches Katsuura at 9:52.
We’d book a room in Katsuura for the night before, whichever meeting time you get.
From Tokyo by train
The direct Limited Express Wakashio costs ¥3,670: a ¥2,090 fare (IC card) plus ¥1,580 for a reserved seat. Wakashio can’t be ridden on an ordinary unreserved limited express ticket. You need a reserved-seat ticket or an unassigned-seat ticket (JR East).
For Friday, December 4, 2026, the timetable shows the last direct train leaving Tokyo at 21:00 and arriving at 22:32. The 22:00 Wakashio 21 needs a change at Kazusa-Ichinomiya and arrives at 23:48. The last train, at 21:57, arrives at 0:04 the next day.
Katsuura Station has no Midori no Madoguchi ticket office. It has a ticket machine with an operator you can talk to, from 8:00 to 20:00. Suica works at the gates. The station page doesn’t say whether the machine takes credit cards. We’d carry a Suica (JR East).
From Tokyo by highway bus
Buses leave from Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu, stop B11, underneath Tokyo Midtown Yaesu (Keisei Bus). The ride takes about 2 hours and costs ¥2,100. Departures are 7:50, 9:50, 12:20, 13:50, 17:50 and 20:50. The 20:50 is the last one, and it reaches Katsuura Station at 22:52.
You can’t reserve a seat. If the bus is full, you can’t ride. Pay on board with an IC card such as Suica or PASMO, or with cash (Nitto Kotsu). We’d go with the 17:50 or an earlier bus, because you can’t reserve a seat and a full bus leaves you behind.
From Narita or Haneda Airport
Plan to arrive the night before. For December 4, trains from Narita at 19:25–19:41 reach Katsuura at 21:42, with changes at Chiba and Soga. The last one, at 21:22, arrives at 0:04 the next day. From Haneda, a bus plus the Sotobo Line leaving at 19:08–19:13 arrives at 21:42. The 21:18 arrives at 23:48.
From Katsuura Station to the harbor
The harbor is a 27-minute walk (2.0 km), mostly flat. By car it takes about 6 minutes. Emitas Taxi Nanso has a Katsuura office listed by the Katsuura tourism association. We couldn’t confirm that it runs or takes bookings early in the morning, so we’d plan to walk. Open the walking route in Google Maps (27 minutes, checked November 2026).
By car
The KKday directions say to take the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and the Ken-O Expressway to Ichihara-Tsurumai IC, then Route 297. It’s about 35 minutes from the IC. A car lets you set your own schedule, with no train or bus timetables to fit.
If you land at Narita or Haneda and don’t want to change trains in Chiba or Soga, we’d pick a rental car at the airport. We couldn’t confirm the driving time from either airport, so check a route app first.
On parking, KKday says there are 5 free spaces. The operator says parking inside the marina is not allowed. It asks you to use car parks P1 and P2 at Hachimanmisaki Park, about 10 minutes on foot. Ask which one applies after you book.
Can I just take the first train from Tokyo?
No. Even the first train arrives at 7:56, and the harbor is another 27 minutes on foot. Stay the night before.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
Where to Stay in Katsuura
We couldn’t find a hotel right next to the harbor. Both hotels below are in town, according to their Klook listings.
- Mikazuki Sea-Park Hotel Katsuura: about a 21-minute walk (1.6 km) to the harbor
- Katsuura Hilltop Hotel & Residence: about 30 minutes on foot
If you need a hotel, we’d pick Mikazuki Sea-Park. Its walk is 9 minutes shorter. To make a 5:50 start with 15 minutes to spare, you’d leave by about 5:10.
The Klook listing shows check-in from 15:00 to 18:00. We couldn’t confirm whether a check-in after 18:00 is possible. If you arrive late on a last train, tell the hotel after you book. The front desk opens at 7:00 every day until midnight. If you leave before 7:00, tell them that too. Breakfast starts at 7:00 and costs extra, so you can’t eat it before the tour.
On Klook, search for “Katsuura Chiba”. A search for just “Katsuura” also shows Nachikatsuura in Wakayama.
Booking, Cancellation and Bad Weather
KKday confirms your booking within 1 business day. You then fill in a consent form (a Google form), and staff check it before you join. Sign up as 2 people. If you’re alone, message KKday first. We couldn’t confirm that a single guest can go.
Prices below are what KKday showed in November 2026 and change with the date and availability.
- Most days: from about US$126 per person
- Sundays: about US$145 per person
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of November 2026):
Source: KKday listing, checked November 2026.
Weather
⚠️ Weather can cancel the trip — KKday says the boat goes out only when the wind is light and the sea is calm. Message the staff the day before to check
- No refund for your travel — A weather cancellation costs nothing. But if it happens after you reach the harbor, KKday doesn’t pay your transport costs
- When the operator won’t sail — It stays in port for waves of 3 m or more, wind of 10 meters per second or more, or visibility under 100 m. Sea, wave or tsunami warnings, lightning risk, or any crew member’s safety call also stop it
- Rain alone — The operator doesn’t cancel for rain alone. It contacts you if it cancels, and it doesn’t contact you if the trip goes ahead
Payment: you pay for the tour in advance on KKday.
What to Bring
🎒 Your packing list
- ☐ Warm clothes, gloves and a knit hat
- ☐ A hat and sunglasses
- ☐ A camera
- ☐ A cooler box with ice or cold packs, if you want to take squid home
- ☐ A Suica card for trains and buses
After the Trip: Katsuura Morning Market and Tantanmen
If your trip ends at 7:30, you’ll reach the station at about 7:57 on foot. The train home leaves later, so you have time for breakfast.
- Katsuura Morning Market (勝浦朝市): about 6:30 to 11:00. It’s closed on Wednesdays and January 1. From the 1st to the 15th it’s in front of Tomisaki Shrine (遠見岬神社). From the 16th to the end of the month it’s in front of 高照寺 (a temple). It’s about a 10-minute walk from the station (Katsuura tourism association)
- Katsuura Tantanmen: a noodle soup with soy sauce broth, chili oil, onions and ground pork. The Agency for Cultural Affairs named it a “100-year food” for fiscal 2025 (source). We couldn’t confirm shop hours, so check before you go
- Katsuura Undersea Observation Tower (勝浦海中展望塔): 9:00–17:00, open every day, adults ¥980. The price drops when the water is less clear, and it closes in rough weather (tower website)
Heading home
If you leave the harbor at 7:30, the walk to the station takes about 27 minutes. On the Saturday, December 5 timetable, the 8:05 Wakashio 8 reaches Tokyo at 9:34, but that leaves about 8 minutes of slack and no time to change out of the waterproofs. We’d pick the 9:08 Wakashio 10 instead. It arrives in Tokyo at 10:36.
- Tokyo: Wakashio 10 at 9:08, arriving 10:36. A highway bus at 8:12 arrives at 10:20
- Narita Airport: 8:40 or 9:08 departure, arriving 11:06
- Haneda Airport: 8:40 or 9:08 departure, arriving 11:28
If your confirmation shows a later meeting time, check the trains again.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
Do You Need a Fishing License?
Foreign visitors can fish with a rod from a boat under 3 tons, says the Fisheries Agency. The operator lists this boat at 2.3 tons. Our fishing license guide covers the rest.
FAQ
QCan I book for one person?
Probably not. The form starts at 2 people, so message KKday before you book.
QCan my child come?
No, if they’re under 16. The listing says ages 16 to 80.
QDoes the staff speak English?
Yes. The listing offers English and Japanese.
QWill I catch squid?
No one can promise it. KKday says the catch depends on the sea and the weather.
QIs there a toilet on the boat?
No. Use your hotel’s toilet before you leave.
QWhat if it rains?
It usually goes ahead. The operator says rain alone doesn’t cancel it, but wind and waves can.
QCan someone cook the squid I catch?
No. KKday doesn’t arrange a restaurant or cooking.
QIs this the same Katsuura as in Wakayama?
No. This is Katsuura in Chiba. The Wakayama one is Nachikatsuura.
Related Guides
Ready to Book?
Set your alarm, pack your gloves and let the electric reel do the heavy lifting. This trip suits two people who can stay in Katsuura the night before and don’t mind a cold dawn.
Need a bed in Chiba the night before?
