Japanese Flounder (Hirame): A Guide for Anglers Visiting Japan
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Minagiman's Fishing Adventures in Japan
Ribbonfish (Tachiuo): The Japanese Autumn Fish That Signals Yellowtail
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A ribbonfish looks like something from the deep sea that took a wrong turn: a long, flat, mirror-silver ribbon with no scales and a mouth full of fangs. In Japan it is tachiuo, and in autumn it is one of the most popular fish on beaches and breakwaters – partly because it is good to eat, and partly because on my coast it tells you the yellowtail are about to arrive.
The basics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | Tachiuo (太刀魚) – “sword fish”, from its blade-like shape |
| English names | Largehead hairtail, ribbonfish, cutlassfish |
| Scientific name | Trichiurus lepturus |
| Size | Grows to around 1-1.5 m |
| Skin | No scales. Covered in a reflective layer of guanine that gives it the silver sheen |
| Behaviour | Schools and comes inshore |
“Three fingers”: how Japanese anglers measure ribbonfish
Read any Japanese catch report and you will see sizes like “yubi 3-bon” – three fingers – or “four fingers”. Ribbonfish are measured by the width of the body in fingers: lay your fingers side by side against the fish and count how many it covers.
Finger widths vary from person to person, so it is not a precise measure, but it is universal on Japanese piers and beaches. As a rough guide, three and a half fingers or more is a good fish.
Why it is there – and when
Ribbonfish spend the day in deep water and rise to shallow water and the surface around sunset to feed. This daily vertical migration is why, from a beach or breakwater, dusk into the night is by far the best time. Under harbour lights, small fish gather and the ribbonfish follow them in.
On the Enshunada coast, catches usually start from late September into October, with October to December the high season.
The signal: ribbonfish first, yellowtail next
Going back through my own catch reports, one pattern kept repeating: once ribbonfish are being caught consistently, the yellowtail season opens within one to two weeks. In 2024, the first ribbonfish came at Tahara on 6 October, they were along the whole coast by the 14th, and the yellowtail season properly started on the 19th.
So even if you are not after ribbonfish, watch for them. The full story, with dates, is in Japanese yellowtail from the beach.
What the bite and fight feel like
The bite usually starts with small “tick-tick” knocks, then the rod loads up and pulls down as the fish takes it. With the teeth this sharp, especially when fishing a dart-style jig head or a tenya, let the weight come on before you set the hook rather than striking at the first tap.
The first surge is strong, but they do not make long runs like yellowtail. Bringing them in is not difficult.
The teeth
This is the one thing you must take seriously. The teeth are extremely sharp; touch the mouth with bare hands and you will get cut.
- Unhook with fish grips or long pliers. Never put fingers in the mouth.
- Be careful putting them in a bucket or cooler – they thrash, and the teeth come round.
- The same teeth cut leaders. Check yours after every ribbonfish.
Tackle from the beach
| Item | Guide |
|---|---|
| Rod | 8-9 ft medium seabass or shore-jigging rod |
| Reel | 2500-3000 spinning |
| Line | PE 0.6-1.0 with a 20-25 lb fluorocarbon leader. Many people use a short wire trace |
| Lures | Dart-style jig heads with soft plastics, metal jigs, sinking pencils, minnows |
Eating
No scales and little slime, so it is easy to prepare. It is popular grilled with salt, as tempura, and as sashimi with the skin lightly seared (kawashimo-zukuri). Few bones, which is part of the appeal. Bleed and ice it and the flesh keeps much better – see how to bleed and chill a fish on the beach.
Common questions
Can I catch them in the day?
In deep water, yes. From a beach or breakwater on light tackle, dusk into night is overwhelmingly easier.
Do I need wire?
It is not essential, but it cuts down line breaks from the teeth. Plenty of anglers fish with fluorocarbon only.
Read next
- Japanese yellowtail from the beach: when they arrive
- Spanish mackerel (sawara, sagoshi) from the beach
- Japanese flounder (hirame): a guide for visiting anglers
- How to bleed and chill a fish on the beach
ABOUT ME
Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.
