Fishing Spot Japan

Japanese Sea Bass fishing in Osaka Bay & Awaji Island

September, October and November are the prime months. No permit is required for recreational sea fishing.

When

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season grading is our editorial judgement, not a sourced figure. It says when the fish is catchable, not when the water is legally open — for that, read the closed seasons below.

Do you need a permit?

No permit is required for recreational sea fishing.

Water
Saltwater
Prefecture
Hyogo
Region
Kansai
Getting there
1 h to 1 h 30 from Osaka

How far our answer goes here

  • ✓National lawApplies everywhere. Foreign-national gear limits, protected species, bluefin controls.
  • ✓PrefectureMinimum sizes, closed seasons and legal gear. This is a floor — local rules add to it, never subtract.
  • ~Sea-area / inland committeeDirectives that close specific waters or periods. We hold these for a few prefectures only.
  • —Cooperative permitSea fishing needs no cooperative permit. A Common Fishery Right still covers the shore — see the rule above.

Rules stack. Everything above the line we hold; everything below it you still need to confirm on the ground. That gap is exactly what a local guide is for.

Legal gear in Hyogo

○▲Hand line & rod fishing×Trolling●△Landing net●△Scoop net●△Cast net×Fishing spear (excluding harpoons)●△Rake / clam tool○Hand gathering

Sea areas only, as of 2026-03-31. Anything not listed — diving apparatus, spearguns — may not be used at all. Full table & footnotes

Size limits and closed seasons

Hyogo VERIFIED

Set by the Hyogo Fisheries Adjustment Rules (arts. 32–37, 39) and the Seto Inland Sea Fisheries Control Regulations (art. 6).

Applies to: Sea and inland. The source regulation covers both sea and inland waters. Cooperatives add further rules on rivers and lakes.

Closed seasons

Red seabream, 12 cm total length or under1 Jul – 30 SepUnder the Seto Inland Sea Fisheries Control Regulations.
Grey mullet, 20 cm total length or under1 Apr – 31 AugOff Awaji Island the window runs 1 Apr – 31 Dec.
Ayu (sweetfish)1 Jan – 25 May
Itabogaki oyster1 Apr – 31 Oct
Hen clam1 Apr – 31 Oct
Purple Washington clam1 Jun – 31 Oct
Geoduck (mirugai)1 Jun – 31 Oct
Pen shell1 Jun – 31 Oct
Sea cucumber1 May – 31 OctRecreational anglers may not take sea cucumber at all, at any size or season.

May not be taken at or under this size

Amberjack (juvenile, mojako)15 cm total length or under
Japanese eel20 cm total length or under
Common octopus100 g or under (by weight)
Abalone9 cm shell length or underRecreational anglers may not take abalone at all, at any size or season.
Horned turban2.5 cm operculum diameter or under
Manila clam2.5 cm shell length or under
Hard clam5 cm shell length or under
Geoduck (mirugai)10 cm shell length or under
Pen shell20 cm shell length or under

Prohibited methods

  • Sea — Anything outside the permitted gear list (Rules arts. 36, 39) — and permitted gear can still be barred under certain conditions
  • Protected waters, juvenile nursery grounds, and areas closed by commission instruction — Taking any aquatic life at all
  • Harbour mouths — Casting and jigging — busy with vessel traffic and dangerous

Note the blanket rule: **recreational anglers may not take abalone or sea cucumber at all**, whatever the size or season — both are nationally protected as well. Common Fishery Rights cover almost the entire Hyogo coast, roughly 1–2 km out from the shore. Inside a Class 1 right, taking the species it names — octopus, abalone, turban shell and the like — can be prosecuted as infringement. Some areas also run their own local angling rules agreed between fishers and anglers.

Local committee instructions

  • The Seto Inland Sea Fisheries Control Regulations apply here on top of the prefectural rules — including the summer closure on small red seabream noted above.
Source: Hyogo Prefectural Fisheries Technology Institute — sizes and seasons that may not be taken, under the Hyogo Fisheries Adjustment Rules (arts. 34, 35, 37) and the Seto Inland Sea Fisheries Control Regulations (art. 6). https://www.hyogo-suigi.jp/fishing/manners/size_time/✓ checked 2026-08-28

About Japanese Sea Bass

Japan's urban lure fish. Tokyo Bay and Osaka Bay hold trophy fish within sight of the skyline.

Japanese
· suzuki
Scientific name
Lateolabrax japonicus
Typical size
40–90 cm (16–35 in)

How it is fished here

Lure casting

Elsewhere

Japanese Sea Bass is also listed at Tokyo Bay, Sagami Bay, Lake Hamana. Everything caught in Osaka Bay & Awaji Island.