Japan 2026: Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds

Tuesday. We’re going fishing. For real this time!

After Monday’s long car ride, sightseeing, brief teaser session on the water, and welcome dinner, we had a full day lined up to fish Nikko City before heading deep into the mountains of the National Park to our accommodations for the rest of the week.

About the Area

As our alarms went off for breakfast service, we had a few minutes while packing up gear to step out on the balcony and actually take in the Kinugawa Onsen section of Nikko from above. With a morning mist hovering over the rooftops and rolling hills, it dawned on Anthony, Matt, and me how much this looked like Southern Appalachia back home. The buildings were a bit different, sure, but we could have easily been in a mountain town somewhere in the Smokies. Similar topography, similar energy, just with more kanji on the signage. We were in “Jappalachia,” if you will…

Breakfast service, much like the dinner the night before, was wonderful, though far less formal. It was just the three of us, in a section of the restaurant we had all to ourselves. The food was delicious, our “Healthy Japanese Breakfast” just filling enough without weighing us down, and we were feeling ready to hit the water.

Let’s Go Fishing!

Today’s plan was three different rivers in Nikko. First, the main stem of the Kinugawa River which is bigger, broader water with a deep central channel. Not exactly tenkara ideal, but we were going to give it a shot.

After that, a different section of the Ojika River, the same water we had briefly fished on Monday, but this time slightly downstream from Nature Planet and a bit closer to where it meets the Kinugawa. For those familiar with western North Carolina, think something along the lines of the Oconaluftee flowing through Cherokee.

Finally, a third stop was planned. Technically, not a third river, but further upstream on the Ojika, where it could have passed for a Colorado freestone. Larger boulders, deep pools, tall but open canyon walls. A completely different character than what we’d fished in the morning.

Hiro drove us from the hotel down to Nature Planet, where we met Takashi, along with Takuya Yamakoshi, one of the gentlemen from our welcome dinner the night before, and Akihiro Hoshino, our friend who had come over and fished with us in Colorado back in 2023.

If you’ve been following along, you’ve already met both Takuya and Aki in earlier entries. It was really great to see Aki again. He speaks English well, so beyond talking fishing, we got to catch up a little and hear how he’s adjusting to being a new father. Some things are just universal, you know?

The Kinugawa

Fishing the Kinugawa was a good experience, even if the results weren’t exactly what I was hoping for. I started with kebari, fished it for a bit, then eventually switched to nymphs given the depth and current speed. Neither made much difference, as I didn’t land anything in that section anyway, ha! Between the six of us, maybe two or three fish were caught in some of the shallower pockets closer to the bank. Matt got at least one, which I’m attributing entirely to the magic of his cool new hat!

It wasn’t stellar fishing, but it was a proper baptism wading into Japanese waters for the first time. I do wish I’d had a 390 or 400cm rod with me. It probably wouldn’t have changed my results, but I felt a little undergunned fishing a 340cm Shimano Pack. My longer rods just wouldn’t fit inside my carry-on luggage. Next time…

The Ojika, Part One

After the Kinugawa, Takashi led us up a path to a section of the Ojika below a dam spillway. Urban water, with a lot of manufactured cement channels, but also two or three deep pools worth targeting if you were patient. Honestly, it was the kind of scenario where I would have loved to have my spinning tackle along. Some onsen buildings lined the banks, which made for an interesting backdrop. We weren’t there long, and I’m not entirely sure anyone caught a fish. I hooked one, but it came off before I could do much about it. 0 for 2 on the day for me at this point.

Lunch Break!

Food was a recurring highlight throughout our time in Japan, and after a slow morning on the water we needed it. We regrouped at Nature Planet, piled into one of Takashi’s vans, and drove across town to Ikari, a ramen shop near our next section of river. I don’t know if it was the hunger or just that the food was legitimately great, but that bowl of noodles, vegetables, and pork reset everyone’s energy and enthusiasm for the afternoon. Exactly what we needed.

The Ojika, Part Two

After a short drive from the ramen shop, we parked at an overlook lot and dropped down to the final stretch of fishing for the day. The bear warning signs were both ominous and hilarious. But this was probably my favorite piece of water we touched all day. Open casting lanes, large boulders, a small dam spillway, some deep pools, and just an endless number of nooks and crannies where trout could reasonably be hiding.

Hiro, Matt, and I went upstream. Anthony, Aki, and Takashi went downstream. Takuya kind of split the difference, drifting between both groups as he saw fit.

I’m pretty sure everyone caught fish in this section. I landed two, both on a honryu kebari for those keeping track. I watched Matt and Hiro each catch at least one from a distance. Anthony and Takashi reportedly caught multiple each. I’m guessing Takuya and Aki did as well, though I never got a full debrief from them by the end of the day.

Time flew. Interesting and technical water has a way of doing that. At some point I looked up from tying on a fly, glanced back at the van, and realized everyone else had already gathered and was waving me back up the bluff. A quick check of my watch confirmed that yes, it was absolutely time to go.

Before splitting up back at Nature Planet, we grabbed a group photo. One of my favorites from the whole trip. One of these times I’ll get Anthony to crack a smile…

Takuya had to head out, as he had work the next morning and wouldn’t be joining us for the rest of the trip. We said our goodbyes and thanked him for his time. He’s a genuinely great guy and a talented angler, and I’m really glad we had the chance to fish with him.

Hatcho-no-Yu

With Takuya heading home, the rest of us loaded up for a long drive up and down winding mountain roads toward our next destination: Hatcho-no-Yu.

The drive was long, bumpy, and at moments a little sketchy, but also beautiful. Large bridges over dammed lakes, small villages tucked into the hills, sweeping scenery at every turn, and our first roadside monkeys! After about an hour and a half, we descended slightly into a valley and arrived at the lodge. Within minutes of getting out of the van, Anthony spotted a “kamoshika” or Japanese serow, which is something like an antelope crossed with a goat, climbing some rocks streamside. They’re rare to see in the wild, apparently. We’d run into this mysterious animal several more times over the next few days. (Spoiler alert!)

Hatcho-no-Yu is a genuinely magical place. Remote, sitting at 1,300 meters of elevation, with little around it except outdoor activities and its famous 100% natural mineral hot springs. The ryokan has been in operation since 1929, one of the oldest still running in Nikko, and legend has it that it was the last in the area to get electricity, which didn’t happen until the 1980s. You wouldn’t know it from the free WiFi and televisions in each room. A nice blend of old and new.

Anthony, Matt, and I were sharing a room again. A small rustic log cabin with tatami mat floors and a great view of the Kinugawa headwaters from the balcony. The one catch was that the room had no shower, so the onsen facilities were the only option to clean up after a long day on the water. No complaints there.

We closed out the night with a “barbeque” dinner our hosts prepared in a stone oven. Grilled meats, freshly harvested mushrooms and vegetables, and of course, cold beer. Unwinding, laughing, and recounting the day, it was exactly the kind of evening you want after a full day of fishing followed by a winding mountain drive. We also got a good laugh when we realized yukatas were apparently not mandatory dress for this particular meal.