How Fish Are Caught in Japan: Traditional & Modern Methods

Japan's fishing culture blends centuries-old neta (traditional) techniques with high-tech commercial fleets. Methods vary by target species, region, and scale.

Traditional Methods (Neta)

• Tegaki (Handlining) – Single baited line held by hand; selective, low bycatch.
• Fukagawa-mawari – Longline with multiple hooks at intervals; targets mackerel, horse mackerel.
• Kinu-ami (Lift Net) – Bag-shaped net lowered and raised quickly; catches schooling fish.
• Yonawa-bari (Bottom Longlining) – Mainline with hooks set overnight on seabed; for flounder, rockfish.
• Shirasu Fishery – Fine-mesh nets/traps for juvenile sardines/anchovies (whitebait); seasonal, coastal.

Modern Commercial Methods

• Purse Seining – Encircles pelagic schools (sardine, mackerel, tuna); large vessels, spotter planes.
• Trawling (Bottom/Midwater) – Cone nets dragged; high volume, bycatch concerns; regulated by mesh-size rules.
• Gillnetting – Vertical/horizontal nets entangle fish by gills; used for salmon, yellowtail.
• Pole-and-Line / Trolling – Selective for tuna, bonito; MSC-certified fisheries exist.
• Set Nets (Teichi-ami) – Fixed coastal traps guiding fish into chambers; low fuel, seasonal.

Sustainability Push

• Total Allowable Catch (TAC) system for key stocks (Pacific saury, walleye pollock, snow crab).
• Eco-labeling: Marine Eco-Label Japan (MEL), MSC certifications growing.
• Resource Management: Fisheries Cooperatives (Gyokyō) co-manage coastal zones with prefectural govts.

Recreational anglers use rod-and-reel (spinning, baitcasting, tenkara fly-fishing in mountain streams). Licenses required for some rivers/lakes.