Toshi Namiki, Palmares of Tournaments to Born O.S.P Lures
What does the name Namiki remind you of? Machine gun cast with rubber jig? The art of skipping? Actually, he is more than that. He is a champion tournament angler, a lure designer, and an entrepreneur. In this article, I will introduce his biography, some of his lures and the philosophy of his design. Life […]
Kazuma Izumi, the Legendary Pioneer in Japanese Bass Fishing
Have you heard of HMKL? Recently, DAIWA had launched their lure which has this name. For some of you this Daiwa product is the first one with this HMKL name. Actually, HMKL (to be pronounced “han-kle”) is the brand name which produces its own lures, and the name of the company which was established by […]
DEPS, the lure brand of the big bass hunter, Mr. Kazumasa Okumura
There are a lot of people who have heard the name, “DEPS,” but not so many people know the name of its founder, Mr. Kazumasa Okumura. Though he is not as popular as tournament oriented Japanese pro-anglers, he is one of the most famous black bass anglers in Japan. In this article, I will show […]
Do You Eat Fish? The Relation between the Fishing Population and Fish Eating Preference in Japan
Japanese people love to eat fish. And they like to go fishing. But it is too early to say the reason fishing is popular in Japan is the joy of eating fish. In the US, angling is a popular leisure activity, but it does not really reflect that they have a strong fish eating culture. […]
Haruhiko Murakami, a Genius of Fishing
Neko rig, Down-shot rig and the small rubber jig (Smo-Raba in Japanese). These are well known not only in Japan but also in other countries. It shows that these are well proven methods to catch the largemouth bass. Actually, it is said that these are said to be inventions of Mr. Haruhiko Murakami. From it, […]
A Brief Guide to JDM Bass Lure Brands
JDM (Japan Domestic Model) Lures are getting popular more and more. This is an article for those who want an overview of Japanese lure brands who produce bass fishing lures. (All in the alphabetical order) Adusta This brand produces lures for the monster fish all over the world. Located in Kobe, Hyogo. They are targeting […]
Fishing in a Fish Farm? Tasting Japan through Fishing
Do you want to catch an amberjack easily or to make sure to catch and eat the Japanese’s favorite red seabream during your quick visit to Japan? You can make these wishes come true, when you visit some fisheries in Japan. There are fisheries who farm fish and let leisure fishermans to catch them. In […]
Fishing in the Edo Period
About 200 years ago, Japan was in the Edo period. It is often said that this period made the basis of Japanese fishing (or fishing for leisure.) In this period, the ruling government was stable and it brought a stable economy in Japan. Especially the people who received the benefit of this stable economy were […]
Flirting Squid with Colors
One of the squid species, Swordtip squid, is especially favored by Japanese anglers, because it is fun to fish them and great to eat. It is said that there are more than 30 major species of squid in Japan, and this Swordip squid is considered to be one of the best species for Japanese cuisine. […]
“One Fishing Rod” - Children’s Story about Fishing in Japan
Fishing is deep inside the people’s lives in Japan. And it is one of the familiar activities or leisures. Reflecting this situation, there is a lot of literature from various periods in Japanese history. There is one children’s story about fishermen, written by Mimei Ogawa. For your small entertainment, I translate one of his stories […]