About Yamanokami Fishing Pond Center

Hello travelers! This is Igaguri 🌰, your Sarukuma writer.

Today I’m introducing a wonderful spot tucked away in Kikuka, Yamaga City:
Yamanokami Fishing Pond Center (山の神釣堀センター).

It’s located near Sagaraji Temple (Sagara Kannon), famous as a fertility shrine,
and close to the scenic Yatani Gorge.

The drive there feels like a refreshing forest-bathing journey through the mountains. ♪

Here’s what the fishing pond looks like! (^^)/

It’s a hit with families and couples alike! ☆

Heads up: fishing reception closes at 2:30 PM, so plan accordingly!

I didn’t snap a photo of the restroom, but it’s a clean Western-style toilet. 🥰

The water is crystal clear, and the gentle stream sounds are so soothing…

The dining area features traditional Japanese tatami seating—a wonderfully authentic touch! ♡

Recommended Menu at Yamanokami Fishing Pond Center

The 3,000 yen “Yamanokami Set Meal” features yamame trout three ways: salt-grilled, deep-fried, and as sashimi—the full experience!
The 1,500 yen “Choose Your Yamame Set” lets you pick one preparation: salt-grilled, deep-fried, or sashimi.

Both sets come with mountain vegetables (sansai), rice balls, miso soup, and a sweet manju bun.

À la carte salt-grilled, deep-fried, or sashimi dishes are 540 yen each.

If you catch your own, fish weighing 100–150g cost 500–700 yen each.
Larger 200g fish are around 930 yen.

Note: every yamame you catch must be purchased—pricing for caught fish is 410 yen per 100g.
(Additional charges: 100 yen for a styrofoam cooler box for raw fish, and 100 yen for the bait & rod set.)

This time, we ordered two salt-grilled yamame…

One deep-fried yamame for the kids…

And one plate of yamame sashimi!

Yamame trout served raw as sashimi—how rare is that?!
This isn’t something you can find just anywhere in Japan.

I worried it might be bony, but no—completely smooth and easy enough for kids to eat.

It’s not like horse mackerel,
not like flounder either.

The sashimi has a wonderfully firm, satisfying bite, and after one taste you’ll think:
Yamame is seriously delicious!
A true culinary discovery.

I would have loved a beer, but with the drive home ahead…
I went with non-alcoholic beer instead.

Cola, ramune (Japanese soda), and ginger ale are all perfect refreshers as the warm season rolls in. (￣ー￣)

Yamame are harder to catch when water temperatures rise, and weekdays during the rainy season tend to be quiet—so right now is actually the perfect time to visit!

If the fish aren’t biting, the friendly staff pulls out their secret weapon: a handful of bait scattered straight from the pocket! While the yamame splash around devouring the feed, your decoy-baited rod gets a much better shot at a hit.

And if a fish swallows the hook, the staff member rushes over without a word and handles it like a pro.
Honestly, the kindly fisherman is so cool you might just fall a little in love…

Why not enjoy a fishing experience paired with truly exceptional yamame cuisine? (^_-)-☆

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before visiting.