This introductory review offers a brief overview of the progress in Japanese fishery geography by examining selected literatures as well as key geographical characteristics of Japanese fishery areas by outlining a modern history and the recent trends in such areas. Especially for the recent trends, this study focuses on two reorganizations of the economic and social sides, the consolidation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (FCAs, gyogyo kyodo kumiai) and the establishment of Region Management Organizations (RMOs, chiiki un’ei soshiki), referencing the historical backgrounds and examples of the Hirado region in northwestern Kyushu. By understanding the spatial relationships between two such reorganized systems for livelihood and self-government, this review identifies the future prospects for the geographical study of fishery areas. Researchers should consider such recent regional groups as FCAs and RMOs on a middle-scale in addition to fishery villages as conventional basic units on a small-scale in local societies, which are experiencing various large-scale mergers due to Japan’s aging and drastically declining population.

This study examines the consultative function of local autonomous organizations in Japan, focusing on the Community Promotion Councils (CPCs) in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. Since 2019, Rikuzentakata City has implemented a lump-sum type grant program for local communities, providing each of its 11 districts with up to five million yen annually to promote community development. The research analyzes how these CPCs—established in 1980, basically based on former towns and villages—make decisions regarding the use of grants, particularly in coordination with neighborhood associations. Drawing on interview survey results, and documents of local autonomous organizations and local governments, the study reveals that, when the community councils decide how to use the grants, projects are considered at the district level, but are coordinated so that each neighborhood in the district can benefit from the grants fairly. The method of ensuring fairness within a district was not uniform, with some districts trying to distribute the grants equally to each neighborhood association each year and others balancing the grants over the medium term or in a more comprehensive manner. These consultative processes highlight both responsive and accountable governance and the importance of micro-level communities in supporting larger-scale community governance. The study concludes that CPCs in Rikuzentakata embody elements of both “neighborhood government” and “neighborhood partnership” as typified by the community governance models.

This paper reviews studies on rural village societies in Japan to present perspectives for analyzing the relationship between fisheries governance and patriarchy. To illustrate these perspectives in relation to empirical reality, this study outlines institutional changes in village organizations, households, and fisheries governance, based on archival materials and interviews conducted in a fishing village in Japan’s northeastern region. Particular attention is given to the period of modernization and expansion of Japan’s fisheries, when significant transformations occurred in fisheries systems and productive capacity. From this review, we present three perspectives to be examined in empirical research: (1) the relationship between the patriarchal household and the village in the granting and use of exclusive fishing rights; (2) women’s economic independence and relative value of their labor within the household and the village; and (3) the relationship between patriarchal authority and horizontal organization within the village. In the case study, we demonstrated how women assumed roles in resource management, while also highlighting the spatial changes in fishery governance, fishing grounds, and social organization. While political ecology has long employed the concept of patriarchy as a key analytical lens, it has often lacked empirical grounding in regional diversity. In contrast, rural studies in Japan offer valuable insights in this context. In particular, the spatial analysis presented in this paper makes a meaningful contribution to advancing geographical research on gender-inclusive fisheries governance.

In the modern era, the western coast of Hokkaido has been home to numerous herring fishery zones that rely heavily on fishing. Floating fish such as herring contribute to significant fluctuations in resources, resulting in varying catch volumes depending on the region. A comprehensive understanding of Hokkaido’s herring fishery remains elusive because of the substantial variation in catch volume and the significant number of fishers involved. This study examined three regions with diverse fluctuations in herring catch to compare and analyze changes in the number of stationary fishing rights for several fish species, including herring. This approach considers variations in herring catch volumes. The Licensed Fishing Register, held by the Archives of Hokkaido, serves as a historical resource, as it includes information about stationary fishing rights holders from 1902 to 1951 and provides reasons for ownership changes. It also provides insights into long-term fluctuations in stationary fishing rights. Overlaying the trends in herring catch volumes with changes in the acquisition of fishing rights for herring and other fish species across the three regions reveals a shift in the fishing system. This transition was marked by a shift from focusing on herring fisheries to gradually integrating other species in response to fluctuations in herring catch volumes. Consequently, this study sheds light on the substantial impact of herring fisheries on the acquisition of fishing rights along with regional variations in the timing of the surge in non-herring fisheries and the degree of cooperative effort among herring fishers.

Recent challenges in small-scale fisheries necessitate a critical reassessment of coastal zone governance. In this context, the marine tourism sector has emerged as a significant area of interest, prompting coastal fishing communities and other stakeholders to explore avenues for collaborative management. However, integrating these sectors often leads to conflicts, particularly between the fisheries and tourism sectors. This study examines the tension between coastal tourism and small-scale fisheries, with a focus on dolphin tourism conflicts on Notojima Island, north-central Japan. It highlights the ecological characteristics of wild dolphins that drive tourism development and contribute to emerging conflicts. Using stakeholder interviews, direct observations, and analysis of local newspaper content (2001–2019), this study chronicles the evolution of dolphin tourism through four distinct phases: discovery, development, disturbance, and reorganization. The findings reveal spatial and social conflicts between dolphin tourism and small-scale fisheries, exacerbated by mismatches in operational scales and the ecological behaviors of dolphins. Efforts have been made to mitigate these conflicts by realigning spatial, social, and institutional scales, while carefully considering the ecological characteristics of dolphins. Establishing adaptive institutions and organizations is central to resolving these conflicts and fostering cooperation between the tourism industry and small-scale fisheries. These entities should be capable of responding flexibly to the constantly changing conditions of target resources, facilitating a balanced approach to economic development and environmental management within the coastal zones.

Greece poses challenges to participatory fishery governance in Europe, as Greek fishers are known for their independent nature and mistrust of the authorities. However, little attention has been paid to evidence of fishers’ collectivity in local fishery governance in certain parts of Greece, which is important for developing effective fishery governance systems. Fish exploitation in the Messolonghi-Aitoliko Lagoon in Western Greece depends on the ivari (plural ivaria), a barrier-trap fishery operated by fishers’ cooperatives with fishing rights assigned by the authorities. To examine the communal aspect of Greek fishers, this study demonstrates how local fishers in the lagoon organize themselves as cooperatives and how they collectively engage in the ivari fishery within the framework of a rights-based governance system. Economic productivity disparities between the cooperatives are major factors for their “good” or “bad” management perceived by the authorities. However, this study revealed that differences in social formation and shared interests also affect cooperative management strategies. The social connections of individual fishers shape the multiple attributes of cooperatives as family-run, fellowship-based, or entrepreneurship-oriented, which influences how they commit themselves to the ivari fishery. Fishers’ participation in collective action is supported by their social relationships, their own consent, and the freedom to join or leave cooperatives at their own discretion. The dynamics of management strategies for securing ivari rights represent how Greek fishers not only pursue their interests collectively among members but also competitively between cooperatives within the rights-based governance system.

Fourteen years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the coastal fishing industry in Sanriku has returned to its pre-disaster state. This paper reports on changes in the management and maintenance of family-run businesses before and after the earthquake, using the Ishinomaki-Toubu Fisheries Cooperative Association (FCA) in the Oshika Peninsula of Miyagi Prefecture as a case study. Before the earthquake, in the Ishinomaki-Toubu FCA, a family-run business combining oyster farming and boat fisheries was the foundation of the business, and there were some successors. However, after the earthquake, Wakame seaweed farming was introduced, and the type of fishery in the family business changed. In terms of management outcomes, regarding the individual management changes in the family business units, excluding those fishery households that have retired or downsized because of aging, the sales of fishery households increased compared with before the earthquake. Wakame seaweed farming has been actively introduced by households with successors. Nevertheless, the changes in the management of family businesses after the earthquake were not uniform but differed depending on factors such as the labor force and age composition of each household. Finally, the Miyagi Prefectural FCA, which oversees the Ishinomaki-Toubu FCA, is taking a new direction in maintaining family business entities, including allowing commuting fishers.

This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on middlemen involved in farmed shrimp collection in Dam Doi district, Ca Mau province, Vietnam. The 10 middlemen surveyed collected shrimp within their home commune, Dam Doi district, or Ca Mau province. In 2020 and 2021, almost all of them experienced a decline in the quantity of shrimp collected, frequency of collection trips, and their annual income compared to 2019. We identify three processes behind these changes. First, the collection quantity and annual income declined because of slowed collection activities caused by movement restrictions within the same geographical areas in which middlemen usually operate. Second, middlemen voluntarily refrained from collecting shrimp during movement restrictions outside their collection areas. Third, although the collection frequency stayed the same, customer demand during movement restrictions decreased. In conclusion, middlemen in Dam Doi district were unable to collect enough shrimp to maintain their annual income, with the causes varying according to the degree of overlap between their collection areas and movement restrictions.

This study examined the characteristics of contemporary amenity migration by analyzing the relationship between the values, lifestyles, and migratory behavior of working-age migrants to the town of Karuizawa and the surrounding new vacation home area in Japan. Karuizawa has experienced an increase in the number of migrants from the Tokyo area since the opening of Karuizawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line. The population growth is particularly significant in the Oiwake district, a new vacation home area in the western part of the town. Working-age migrants to the Oiwake district were surveyed by the author through snowball sampling and were engaged in white-collar jobs, with some commuting by Shinkansen and some teleworking. They moved out of the Tokyo area due to doubts about the child-rearing and educational environment as well as their work and lifestyle preferences. They chose Karuizawa and the surrounding area as a destination due to convenient transport links and good living environment. They also chose the Oiwake district as their place of residence because of its attractive natural environment, proximity to schools and train stations, low land prices, and convenience of living. Their quality of life improved after migration to Karuizawa through the skillful utilization of the various amenities in Karuizawa and the surrounding area.