A pyrolysis study on a species of brown algae Saccharina japonica was carried out in a fixed-bed reactor. The yields of bio-oil and bio-char obtained at 450 °C were 47 % and 33 %, respectively. The raw S, japonica, ethanol and acid pretreated samples and the resulting pyrolysis products were also characterized with respect to proximate and ultimate analysis, and higher heating value. The crude bio-oil fractionation by distillation under reduced pressure followed by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) over Pd/C could be employed to upgrade the bio-oil. The higher heating value (HHV) of HDO bio-oil product was close to those of conventional gasoline and diesel.