Fishing in the City

Fishing is a pass-time that requires time and equipment both. You would think, as well, that you'd have to travel a little distance out of town to have a chance to do it, but as it turns out, it's possible to go fishing in Tokyo with none of this limitations. And without being inside a restaurant.

While commuting by train, I looked out the window chanced upon a fishing hole right in the center of the city. It wasn't until a whole year later that I decided to take a closer peek, and discovered the Ichigaya Fish Center, which doubles as both a fishing area and a supply store for all things related to purchase and maintenance of fish within a home aquarium. Eager as always to go fishing, Ty came along and we tried our hands at it for an hour.


 First off, anglers are given the choice of either fishing in the hole, or mini-fishing, in which you're given a miniature fishing rod and given a chance to catch goldfish. We opted for the former, of course, and for around 900¥, were provided with both fishing rod and bait, and a net to help bring the fish up. It appeared as if no one actually brought their own equipment here - we didn't see anyone with different fishing rods than the ones provided.

When I had first seen the place in Autumn, it was crammed full of salary-men sitting shoulder to shoulder in their suits. I was little anxious that I'd accidentally get my line tangled in another person's if I were sitting that close, but my fears were unjustified, seeing as we went on a blazing Summer day, and not so many people seemed to enthused to bake under the sun while waiting for a catch. It's kind of worthwhile to note that there isn't any shelter from the heat while fishing. Still, we didn't let that stop us.

The fish swimming inside the water hole are actually koi fish, the Japanese carp. Just by that being said, you'd be right to guess that it's catch and release fishing, since you're likely to break your teeth if you tried biting into a koi. Though I wouldn't exactly say it was difficult, the bait provided on spot flakes off the hook quite easily, and the fish are more likely to nibble and peck at it rather than bite. All that considered, though, some people seemed to be faring pretty well, and even I was able to land a catch within my hour.

 Not unlike a batting cage, the Fish Center's a pretty good place to kill some time with friends while enjoying a sport, without all the hassle of preparation. And so the list of options for having a good time in Tokyo goes up by one!