Japan is known for its rich fishing grounds, all thanks to the oceans surrounding it. Off Sanriku in the Tohoku region, there is a place called “Shio-me (潮目)” in Japanese where the cold Oyashio Current and the warm Kuroshio Current meet. Where the cold and warm currents meet is favorable to the existence of planktons. This huge population of fish food attracts many kinds of fish from small horse mackerels to big blue marlins.
Ocean is not only the place where you can fish. Japan is predominantly mountainous and rich in valleys, rivers, and lakes. Freshwater fishing is also popular in Japan.
Among many places, we have compiled a few fishing spots with easy access from Tokyo.
1．Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay is located in the southern Kanto region, spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture. This region is the most populous and largest industrialized area in Japan. You don’t think you can fish there? Surprisingly, Tokyo Bay hosts a variety of fish and shellfish. There are chartered/shared fishing boats or several parks along the bay that allow shore fishing.
■Fishing Boat
There are shared/chartered fishing boats offering fishing tours departing from different places along the bay, including Haneda, Asakusa, Yokohama, and you can pick the nearest from where you stay. 1-2 hours casual fishing tours to 4-5 hours tours are available.
You can catch: horse mackerel, rockfish, sea bass, and other seasonal fish
On these websites, you can compare tours and prices to find a best fit for you.
Trip Advisor: Fishing Charters and Tours in Tokyo
Activity Japan: Sea fishing/ Fishing boat in Tokyo
■Marine Parks
If you are prone to seasickness and/or prefer shore fishing, marine parks are perfect as they have areas designated for fishing. Some parks are accessible even by public transports and equipped with BBQ pits and other convenient facilities. Wakasu Marine Park is suitable for a family outing. There is a shop where you can rent or buy all you need for fishing such as rods, baits, chairs, coolers, etc. If you have your own fishing tackle, Kasai Rinkai Park and Akatsuki Futo Park are popular among urban anglers.
You can catch: goby, sea bass, Spanish mackerel, rockfish, black sea bream, sardine, etc.
Learn more about marine parks in Tokyo here.
2. Chūzenji-ko Lake (2 hours from Tokyo)
Chūzenji-ko Lake is a scenic lake in the world-famous city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture. It has been renowned as summer resort, and many foreigners and embassies built their villas along the shore in late 1890’s to early 1900’s. It is said that Scottish merchant Thomas Glover, who was a key figure in the industrialization of Japan, released trout in the area to enjoy fishing in 1902, and Chūzenji-ko Lake became popular among fly fishing enthusiasts. Fishing is allowed by the local fishery cooperative for a specific timing of the year; shore fishing from April 1 to September 19, boat fishing from April 20 to September 19, and Japanese smelt (wakasagi) fishing from September 20 to October 31. You need to purchase fishing permits and the daily rate varies from 1,100 yen to 2,200 yen/adult.
You can catch: lake trout (In Japan, only found in Chūzenji-ko), pink salmon (native in Chūzenji-ko), and other different trout families
For more information, read here.
3. Choshi or Ōarai (2 hours from Tokyo)
Would you like something bigger? Then, Choshi Port (Chiba Prefecture) or Ōarai Port (Ibaraki Prefecture) would be your destination. Two hours from Tokyo, these places are known among anglers for blue marlin fishing. In Ōarai, International Fishing Festival is held as part of Hitachinaka Ōarai Resort Plan with the aim of turning the Ōarai area into an attractive and fashionable resort and its main event is blue marling fishing competition. The festival was held in August 2022 and preparations for the festival 2023 seem to be under way.
Learn more about the festival by reading here.
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*The links herein provided are for reference purposes only. PropertyAccess is not connected to the businesses/festival organizer in the links.