Every corner along Japan’s long coast has a fishing port. Where there are fishing ports, there are fishing communities working diverse small-scale and coastal fisheries daily. Its beautiful coastal landscape is Japan’s identity. It is no exaggeration to say that the Fisheries Co-operative Association (FCA) system has supported such an essential coastal landscape, traditions and culture throughout its long history. Yet Japanese fisheries are now undergoing significant change in the marine, environmental, socioeconomic and policy spaces. What is the FCA’s status in the face of such enormous changes? What should be their role in the future of fisheries sustainability?