Shifts in the distributional range of species are an expected biological response to climate change, however empirical research to assess the extent and effect of range shifts in freshwater species is lacking. This is a relevant issue for Japan, where around 50% of red list species depend on freshwater for at least part of their life cycle. Empirical data from long-term studies with comprehensive geographical coverage are essential for assessing the to-date response to climate change of these species. This research utilises data from Japan’s National Census on River Environments (NCRE) to identify whether or not range shifts occurred in any of the >350 freshwater-dependent fish, amphibian, reptile, mammal and bird species surveyed between 1990 and 2012. All available NCRE data were obtained, collated and converted into presence/absence data. Preliminary analysis tested for a significant combined effect of distributional range and time in each species. Three fish, 2 reptile, 1 mammal and 16 bird species showed a significant result. This may suggest a range shift occurred in these species during the survey period. We will use NCRE data to repeat this analysis for aquatic plants.