Tokyo Bay: Catch your first fish

It's a dream for most people to be able to catch fish in Tokyo Bay. Thoughts of fresh sashimi easily invade the mind, after years of exposure to sushi documentaries.

Looking for Sea Bream

The thing about fishing in Tokyo Bay is that many of the chartered boats, especially the more affordable charters, go after tiny fish like horse mackerel. We chose to go with "Nonchanmaru" fishing charter as they were targeting Tai (Sea Bream), which is a much more hefty prize. Also, they have a slightly bigger boat; bigger than the small dinghies, which I believe helps with sea sickness a little.

(Above: Freshly caught flounders being air-dried)

The day started bright and early and you need to wake up early to get there in time (~5am). The staff are very welcoming and are willing to teach beginners. On the boat, we were the only newcomers, the rest of them were regulars who often utilised the fishing charter. Rods, lures, and every kind of equipment are available as long as you pay the rod rental price.

It must have been jellyfish season, because we kept getting piece of jellyfish tentacle stuck to our lines. The staff showed us how to swipe it off, and they helped us when the tentacles were getting out of hand.

Still, the fishing experience was amazing. The regulars are very experienced and they were able to coach us. We didn't come back empty handed. Thankfully, we caught our first ever Sea Bream! We were also able to catch a "belt fish" which the regulars assured; is good to eat as well!

(The sea bream we caught!)

When we got back to the pier, the regulars began to count the fish. We were shocked when one of them told us we could keep the entire bounty of the day! We were touched by their kindness and dutifully squeezed all the fish into the tiny cooler box that we brought.

How to book

Japanese websites are notoriously tough to navigate. You can find the official site here: https://www.xixi.net/

The best way to book a slot on the boat is to use their calendar booking system, which also shows which particular fish they are targeting on that day. You can find that here: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=6d544fkp3538vtr7lnffvvo3nc@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Asia/Tokyo

Price

We paid 17,000 yen per person in 2025. Do note that prices are likely to go up every year. Here's a breakdown of the cost:

11,000 yen - slot on boat for fishing for Tai

5,000 yen - Equipment rental (Rods, lures)

1,000 yen - Extra boat fees

Address

Japan, 〒143-0013 Tokyo, Ota City, Omoriminami, 5 Chome−5−5 呑川左岸 のんちゃん丸

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EyFTYW8wHNnLhpj97