Introducing Hotaru-ga-Ike Natural Fishing Pond Center

Hello everyone! This is Mido, a writer for Sarukuma.

Today I’m introducing Hotaru-ga-Ike Natural Fishing Pond Center, located in Benri, Kyokushi, Kikuchi City.

My son had been begging to go fishing, so I did some research and discovered this beautiful spring-fed fishing pond. We had to check it out!

It’s tucked away in the lush nature of Kikuchi. We relied on Google Maps to get there. The center is right along the road with clear signage, so we found it without any trouble!
If your car navigation doesn’t show it, just search on Google Maps.

The fishing ponds at Hotaru-ga-Ike are filled with plenty of natural spring water — beautifully clear and brimming with fish!
The ponds are stocked with yamame (Japanese trout) and rainbow trout swimming around.
Here are the operating hours:

Open: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fishing reception: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Grilled fish orders: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Closed on Wednesdays.
Note that there may be occasional unscheduled closures, so it’s a good idea to call ahead before your visit.

《Pricing》
Fishing rod rental: 100 yen each
Bait: 100 yen

Salt-grilled fish (per fish): 550 yen
Take-home raw fish (per fish): 500 yen
(Raw fish is cleaned and prepared for you to take home.)

※A cooler box is required for take-home orders.
(Ice available for 100 yen, insulated bags for 200 yen.)

《Rules》
All fish caught must be purchased — catch and release is not permitted. There are plenty of menu options beyond grilled fish too!

Grilled chicken thigh skewer: 500 yen each
Dago-jiru (Kumamoto-style dumpling soup): 700 yen per serving
Somen noodles (summer only): 600 yen per serving
Onigiri rice balls: 300 yen for 2

Somen noodles and shaved ice are summer-only menu items 🍧

Beer: 400 yen
Non-alcoholic beer: 300 yen
Juice & tea: 200 yen

Please note that bringing your own food or alcohol is not permitted!

There’s plenty of dining and rest space available.

The covered seating area is generously sized.

There are also tables with parasols!
You can even dine in the building toward the back!
Here’s what the inside looks like ♪

There’s terrace seating too, perfect for soaking up the natural surroundings ♪

Why We Recommend Hotaru-ga-Ike Natural Fishing Pond Center

Fun to catch! Delicious to eat!

You can have the fish you caught grilled right on the spot and enjoy them surrounded by nature! The pond sits next to a clear stream, and the soothing sound of flowing water is incredibly relaxing.

We grabbed our fishing rod, bait, and bucket — and got started right away!

Lots of fish came swimming up to the bait! We caught our first one almost instantly!
After that, some clever fish managed to nibble the bait without getting hooked, leading to plenty of “Aw, it got away!” and “Yes, got one!” moments — just the right level of challenge for a fun experience ♪

My son was beaming with pride after each catch. We had decided on six fish this time, and he said he wished he could catch more.
Glad he had so much fun!

The fish are very lively and flop around vigorously when you try to remove the hook.
A bit of water (and sometimes a little blood) can splash, so we recommend wearing something other than white. Haha!For fish that swallowed the hook deep, we asked the staff to help us out!
They use special tools to remove it safely.

We ordered our catch to be salt-grilled.
Since it was summer, we cooled off by dipping our feet in the stream beside the pond while we waited.On a hot day, the cold water feels absolutely amazing!

This time we also ordered onigiri rice balls!
The rice was so delicious, and the salt was perfectly balanced — we ended up ordering more!
Time to dig in!
The fish was wonderfully flaky and SO incredibly delicious.

Picked it up and took a big, hearty bite!

Delicious from the very first bite to the last!

What a perfect lunch.
Next time, I want to try the grilled chicken skewers and dago-jiru soup!

They also offer a private camping option (limited to one group per day) — day camping is available too! How nice is that to have the whole place to yourselves?

Autumn is the perfect season for great food!
Enjoy delicious moments with the soothing sound of the clear stream as your soundtrack.
You’re welcome to stop by just for a meal too!
Definitely worth a visit ♪

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Prices and operating hours are subject to change. Please check before your visit.