The efficiency of clove oil, MS-222, and 2-phenoxyethanol was evaluated as anesthetics in juvenile Scomber japonicus. Stage A5 of anesthesia was assumed to be sufficient for conducting routine aquaculture procedures in less than 3 min, with recovery (stage R5) in less than 5 min. The lowest effective doses of the three anesthetics were 50 mg $L^{-1}$ clove oil (anesthetic time of 71.3 s and recovery time of 167.0 s), 100 mg $L^{-1}$ MS-222 (anesthetic time of 70.7 s and recovery time of 115.7 s), and 400 mg $L^{-1}$ 2-phenoxyethanol (anesthetic time of 86.7 s and recovery time of 95.0 s). Anesthetic times decreased with increasing doses for all three anesthetic agents, and fish anesthetized with clove oil exhibited the longest recovery times. After 30 min, the highest plasma cortisol and lactate levels were detected with the use of clove oil, whereas the lowest values were observed with 2-phenoxyethanol. In addition, high glucose levels were maintained during recovery with clove oil, but the treatments did not significantly differ. The most effective of the three anesthetic agents was 2-phenoxyethanol, although all were considered acceptable for use in cultures of juvenile Scomber japonicus.