With the rapid progress in seed production techniques, aquaculture production of economically important species of marine fish has been accelerated in Japan. Howecer, mass mortalities due to viral infections as well as other microbial infections have often occurred during the seed production and grow-out stages. Among these diseases, four viral diseases have been known in cultured Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) since around 1980. In this paper, viral diseases of cultured flounder in Japan are briefly reviewed, with special attention to two viral diseases. viral epidermal hyperplasia and rhabdovirus infection which are relatively important because of their frequent occurrence. Viral epidermal hyperplasia is characterized by fin opacity and associated with high mortality in larval flounder Electron microscopy of affected epidermal cells and transmission experiments with tissue filtrates demonstrated that the disease was caused by a herpesvirus but the agent has not been isolated in fish cell lines. On the other hand, rhabdovires infection occurrs in juvenile and production size fish with hemorrhage in the skeltal muscle and fins, congestion of the gonads, and ascites. A rhabdovirys was isolated in RTG-2 cells from the diseased flounder as a causative agent, which was designated hirame rhabdovirus (HRV) or Rahbdovirus olivaceus. HRV is serologically distinguishable from other known fish rhabdoviruses. Intensive researches on these viral diseases started in 1980th. but properties of the causative agents and infection mechanisms have not been fully investigated. This results in difficulty in controlling these diseases.