Fish
Paralichthys olivaceus ・ ヒラメ科
Prime from autumn into winter, when the baitfish are inshore. It is one of the largest fish reachable with a live bait from a pier, and hooking one is not something you forget.
A Japanese saying, hirame to the left and karei to the right, describes it well: hold it belly toward you and both eyes are on the left. Its mouth is larger than a righteye flounder's and each tooth is big and sharp. It reaches 1 m and 10 kg, and about nine tenths of an adult's diet is small fish, ambushed from the sand as it matches its colour to the bottom. The muscle along the fin base, engawa, is a delicacy.
Lure fishing from surf beaches is popular, casting minnows and jigs; from breakwaters, small live horse mackerel are drifted as bait. Spring and autumn are the peak seasons.
Do not strike on the first tap. A flounder holds the bait before swallowing it, so wait ten to thirty seconds before lifting the rod; the Japanese saying puts the count at forty.
Waters: Hokkaido & Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu
Use a small horse mackerel straight from your sabiki rig. Wet your hands before touching it, hook it quickly through the nose or back, and always net the fish rather than lifting it.
Waters: Hokkaido & Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu
Retrieve just off the bottom, letting the jig touch down periodically. Fish sit beside outflows and rip currents, so read the beach and cast at the changes. The teeth are sharp: remove hooks with pliers.
Waters: Sea of Japan, Northern Pacific coast, Southern Pacific coast, East China Sea & western Kyushu
Live-bait fishing kit ・ Kit total ¥25,000–60,000
The bait is normally caught on site with a sabiki rig, so bring that kit too. You need a bucket, ideally aerated, to keep the bait alive.
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This fish is dangerous to handle bare-handed.
Sharp teeth
It has a row of sharp canine teeth that will cut a finger badly. Always use pliers to unhook it and keep your hand out of its mouth.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
Sashimi, kombu-cured, and the engawa. Winter fish are regarded as the summit of Japanese white-fleshed fish.
Best eating: January, February, November, December
Many prefectures set a minimum size to protect the stock. Always release small fish and check the rules where you are going.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
This article organises general information and is not legal advice. Rules differ by municipality and by fishery cooperative, and they change. Always check the current rules for where you are going.