The effects of dietary yeast β-glucan administration on growth, nonspecific immune responses, serum lysozyme, skin mucous lysozyme, NBT (nitroblue tetrazolium) reduction by phagocytes, and disease resistance against Edwardsiella tarda in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica were evaluated. Fish were fed the diets supplemented with 0%, 0.1% and 0.5% of yeast β-glucan to a commercial diet for 6 weeks. The body weight gain from the fish fed on the 0.5% supplemented diet for 6 weeks was significantly higher than the control. Both serum and skin mucous lysozyme were significantly higher in the all experimental groups except 2 weeks of 0.5% group. The bactericidal activity of serum was slightly increased at 6 weeks. Also, The intracellular superoxide anion production of kidney phagocytes was significantly higher in the all experimental groups. The diet supplemented with 0.1% were also found to raise the relative percent survival (RPS) of Japanese eel after an artificial challenge with 1×107 cells of Edwardsiella tarda per fish. The results suggested the potential of yeast β-glucan to activate some innate immune responses and to improve the growth in Japanese eel.