| 1929 | qe | The Fisheries Experimental Station of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was established in Fukagawa, Tokyo. |
| 1932 | qe | The head office was constructed at Kachidoki, Tokyo. |
| 1949 | qe | The Station was divided into 8 Regional Fisheries Research Laboratories (7 marine and 1 fresh water). The Tokai Regional Fisheries Research Laboratory succeeded facilities of the Station with the following 5 divisions; Marine Resources, Oceanography, Marine Biology, Fishing Gear and Methods, and Utilization of Marine Products. |
| 1962 | qe | Major reorganization was made to add another 3 divisions;
Fish Preservation, Biochemistry and Water Pollution Division to intensify the research area in utilization of the marine products. Population Dynamics and Statistics Division and General Administration Division were also set up. |
| 1968 | qe | Research Planning and Coordination Division were set up |
| 1971 | qe | Marine Environmental Radioactivity Division was set up |
| 1979 | qe | Marine Propagation Division and Fishing Gear and Methods Division were moved into another institutes, Inland Fisheries Division was set up. |
| 1989 | qe | Reorganized the National Research Institute of Fisheries Science with 8 research divisions, senior Research Coordinator, Research Planning and Coordinator Division and General Administration Division. |
| 1993 | qe | The head office was constructed at the present site. |
| 1998 | qe | Environmental Conservation Division was moved into another institute. Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and Kuroshio Research Division were set up. |
| 2001 | qe | Research Institutes belonged Fisheries Agency were reorganized to newly established Fisheries Research Agency holding nine Institutes. Our Institute reformed Research Planning and Coordination Division and Genenral Administration Division and abolished Senior Research Coordinator. |
| 2004 | qe | The Aquatic Genomics Research Center was incorporated as a sixth major research division of the NRIFS. |
| 2011 | qe | The NRIFS was reconstructed to include five research centers with the particular aim to enhance research fields of 1) fisheries socioeconomics, 2) fisheries resources management, 3) fisheries oceanography and marine ecosystems, 4) aquatic biochemistry, and 5) aquatic genomics. |
| 2016 | qe | Fisheries Research Agency and National Fisheries University were unified by Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency. |
