Fishing rules in Tochigi

Legal gear

We have not transcribed Tochigi’s gear table yet.

If you are not a Japanese national

Under the Act on the Regulation of Fishing Operations by Foreign Nationals (Act No. 60 of 1967), recreational fishing by foreign nationals in Japanese waters is limited to 'gathering or catching of aquatic animals or plants on a minor scale'. What you may use depends on the size of the boat you are on.

On a vessel of 3 gross tons or more, a foreign national may fish ONLY when the trip is run by a Japanese vessel under the control of a Japanese fisher — that is, a registered charter (yugyosen) or fishing boat. Most serious offshore boats are over 3 GT, so for offshore fishing a licensed Japanese guide is not a convenience. It is the law.

Up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to ¥30,000,000, or both — for breaching the gear and method rules that apply specifically to foreign nationals.

This is national law and applies in Tochigi exactly as everywhere else. It sits on top of the prefecture’s gear list above — you need to clear both.

Size limits and closed seasons

We have not transcribed Tochigi’s minimum sizes and closed seasons yet. That is a gap in this page, not an absence of rules — every prefecture sets them, and taking an undersized fish is an offence whether or not we list the figure. Ask the prefecture or the cooperative before you keep anything.

Cooperatives that sell a permit online

14 in Tochigi. Buying before you travel matters: on many rivers the price doubles if you buy it on the bank.

Who holds the fishing right

17 cooperatives on record in Tochigi, from the fifth-class fishery rights and permit rules the prefecture publishes by law. A right names the waters and the species it covers — outside that list no cooperative permit is required, though national and prefectural rules still are.

• Tochigi Nakagawa Federation 栃木県那珂川漁業協同組合連合会内共第1号・第2号・第26号Naka River system遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Tochigi Kinugawa Fishery Cooperative 栃木県鬼怒川漁業協同組合内共第3号・第23号・第5〜7号・第15号・第9号Kinugawa system — one of our listed areas. Also the Daiya, Ara, Kokai, Gogyo, Ta and Sugata Rivers.宇都宮市中岡本町860-2 / TEL 028-666-8899
• Chuzenjiko Fishery Cooperative 中禅寺湖漁業協同組合内共第8号Lake Chuzenji — one of our listed areas.遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Shiobara Fishery Cooperative 塩原漁業協同組合内共第4号Shiobara area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Imakita Fishery Cooperative 今北漁業協同組合内共第9号Shared water with the Kinugawa co-op遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Ojika-Kinu Fishery Cooperative おじか・きぬ漁業協同組合内共第10号・第11号Ojika and upper Kinu Rivers遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Yunishigawa Fishery Cooperative 湯西川漁業協同組合内共第12号Yunishi River遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Kuriyama Fishery Cooperative 栗山漁業協同組合内共第13号Kuriyama area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Kawamatako Fishery Cooperative 川俣湖漁業協同組合内共第14号Lake Kawamata遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Tochigi Shimotsuga Fishery Cooperative 栃木県下都賀漁業協同組合内共第16号・第17号Shimotsuga area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Ogurakawa Fishery Cooperative 小倉川漁業協同組合内共第18号Ogura River遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Nishi-Ōashi Fishery Cooperative 西大芦漁業協同組合内共第19号Nishi-Oashi area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Kasuo Fishery Cooperative 粕尾漁業協同組合内共第20号Kasuo area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Araikawa Fishery Cooperative 荒井川漁業協同組合内共第21号Arai River遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Kurokawa Fishery Cooperative 黒川漁業協同組合内共第22号Kuro River遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Watarase Fishery Cooperative 渡良瀬漁業協同組合内共第24号Watarase River遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)
• Ashiomachi Fishery Cooperative 足尾町漁業協同組合内共第25号Ashio area遊漁規則 PDF published by the prefecture (updated June 2026)

Places we list here

• Kinugawa systemFreshwater · Kanto · 2 h from Asakusa by limited express
• Lake ChuzenjiFreshwater · Kanto · 2 h 30 from Tokyo via Nikko

What we do not hold, and who to ask

Being explicit about the gap is the point of this page. What is missing:

• This prefecture’s minimum sizes and closed seasons — not transcribed yet.
• Sea-area and inland committee directives, which close specific waters or periods. We hold these for a few prefectures only.
• Port and municipal rules. Posted on signs at the water, in Japanese, and published nowhere centrally.

Tochigi Inland Fisheries Federation 栃木県漁連
0285-37-9277
329-0423 下野市谷地賀1946番

National rules apply on top of everything here — see Before you fish. How every figure is graded is set out in Data & sources.