Anyone fish Japan?

I'm currently in sapporo in northern Japan. My wife made it very clear I'm not fishing on this trip. That being said, I think I can help a bit. The impression i get of this area is somewhat similar to western oregon and Washington but I hear winters are way colder. I found a fly shop close to my hotel. See pictures below. The lady that was there didn't speak much english but google translate really helped and she was very friendly. They said best time for this area is June though September. The shops fly selection looks basically like what I see in Portland. Same with most the other products. I saw the same name brands i see at home. I did see some things I wasn’t as familiar with but time and language limited my visit. I did pick up a really nice magazine all in Japanese and the lady at the store gave me what I think is a copy of the local fishing registrations. I've really had a great trip and already want to come back. 1000003410.jpg1000003408.jpg
 

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mcswny said:
I’m laid up post op and dreaming…

The family and I are in the preliminary stages of planning a 2-3 week trip to Japan for next year and I’d really love to get in a day or two of fishing for yamame or amago if the opportunity presents itself. Has anyone done any small stream fishing in Japan? What general region were you in and where would you suggest I start my research? Any cool Japanese fly shops you’d suggest I put on my list (generally speaking if it’s Japanese and fly fishing related, I’m into it)

Thanks!
Tim
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@mcswny your post has me neck deep down memory lane.

I lived and worked in Japan for a number of years - suffice to say it was an amazing experience.

There are things to love about every region IMO, and a bunch of folks on thread have already provided some nuggets. A PSA for somewhere a bit different: if you decide to go a little further afield and head to Kyushu, you can also find some small water. Kyushu is not generally regarded as the spot to hit for freshwater (Hokkaido has earned that, with Honshu also offering lots (this guide might be someone to speak with if you will focus on western Honshu/SW Honshu - https://sanintroutfishing.com/)) but the mountains of Kyushu have some beautiful small water opportunities and not much angling pressure. If memory serves amago with smattering of yamame, ayu, and in some areas a carp species that the locals targeted.

Mirroring the advice of others, I highly recommend you connect with fishing clubs and/or shops as a way to get an assist. Google is your friend as a starting spot. In my case I lived there (and speak Japanese, and had my own bad ass Suzuki Every fishing machine, etc) so I spent a fair amount of time just fumbling around and trying to figure it out on my own through trial and error. However, it was through the friendships I developed that I ended up getting a semi-handle on spots, local techniques and patterns, etc. I arrived with all my Montana-centric stuff and mindset and definitely had to adjust….

If no one else has mentioned it, sadly Japan’s focus on public works over the years has resulted in a lot of “concrete riverbank” setups, significantly damaging fishing habitat. Once you get upstream of that you can find some really beautiful water, but need to be willing to do some pretty gnarly bushwhacking. A guide would be invaluable if you can find one. Particularly in the summer you will be encountering a lot of bugs. And some four legged critters. And even monkeys (hey you laugh but a full grown macaque can be pretty unpleasant and they always bring friends). And snakes are definitely something to be on lookout for. The majority of the species aren’t venomous, but there are some venomous species as well, especially the mamushi, which seemed very prevalent in Kyushu at least and are to be avoided at all costs.

Mamushi and angry monkeys aside, so many good memories.
 
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