Here, you can view my articles about fishing and knowledge of fishing in Japan.
一竿風月
Japanese proverb, "One fishing rod allows one to feel seasons and the nature"
My latest posts about general fishing information in Japan
- Fishing, Zen and Tacit Knowledge
This is a very philosophical article about fishing in Japan. It is likely that you know someone who is good at fishing and you have no idea why he is good at it. Even when you ask him about his technique, he cannot express it well. I see there is a vast amount of tacit… Read more: Fishing, Zen and Tacit Knowledge - Yokohama Fishing Fest 2025 and Following Japanese Shows
Yokohama Fishing Fest (called Yokohama Fishing Festival until last year) is the fishing exhibition show, displaying the new products to the users for the earliest timing of the season. It attracts not only the domestic users but also the visitors from foreign countries. This year, it was held from 17th until 19th of January, in… Read more: Yokohama Fishing Fest 2025 and Following Japanese Shows - Funky Handcrafted Topwater Lures in Japan
In the fishing world, there is a segment of handmade tackles. I am sure that some of you have ever thought about carving your own lures out of balsa wood. The Japanese lure market is no exception. There are literally hundreds of lure builders (leisure builders and professionals.) Along the course, you need to remember… Read more: Funky Handcrafted Topwater Lures in Japan - The Gigantic Squid Fishing in Japan
The squid is one of the popular fish in Japan, not only as a nice Japanese food ingredient but also a target.of fishing. It is said that there are about 140 species of squid around Japan. One of the biggest species is Taru-ika (literally, Taru for barrels and Ika for squid, “Barrel squid,” Thysanoteuthis rhombus.)… Read more: The Gigantic Squid Fishing in Japan - Fuji Guide, Icon of High Quality Rods
“Fuji Guide” You may have seen it on the tag hanging on your rods. The rod with the tags is equipped with the highest quality line guides, made by the company called Fuji Kogyo Co., Ltd. Fuji Kogyo is a Japanese company, which has revolutionized the fishing rods with innovation on line guides. This article… Read more: Fuji Guide, Icon of High Quality Rods - How to Make Bamboo Poles in Japan
Before the graphite rod was invented by Dr. Arthour M. Howald, of Sakespeare Company, in 1947, the bamboo was the major materials for fishing rods. In the other side of the world, it was the same that the rod was made by bamboo. However the characteristics of bamboo rod in the west and in Asia… Read more: How to Make Bamboo Poles in Japan - Japan’s Largest Lake for the World’s Largest Bass
It is well known that Japan’s biggest lake gave the world record (not Japanese record) of bass, Largemouth Bass (Micropterus nigricans.) It is better to see it before reading about it. Here is the link to the video of the record fish. On July 2, 2009, Manabu Kurita achieved a historic milestone in sport fishing… Read more: Japan’s Largest Lake for the World’s Largest Bass - Japanese Paintings on Fishing
Japan is surrounded by the sea and its moderate climate makes a lot of freshwater environments. People living here get familiar with fish and water, naturally. These things have made fishing very popular for a long time. In this article, we briefly see the Ukiyo-e, wood prints, and paintings related to fishing in Japan. I… Read more: Japanese Paintings on Fishing - Goby Fishing, the Most Popular Fish in Edo
For you, it may be hard to imagine that small and trivial fish like gobies can be a main target fish. But it has been one of the most popular and accessible fish since the Edo period. In this article, you can see the reason why it became such a status and the way to… Read more: Goby Fishing, the Most Popular Fish in Edo - Kansai as Destination for Fishing Trip in Japan
You may know city names such as Osaka and Kyoto, as wonderful sightseeing destinations. Kansai is the area which includes Osaka and Kyoto. Kansai has a lot of fishing locations on the Pacific ocean side, the Japan Sea side, and freshwater areas. In this blog, I would like to introduce the places where you can… Read more: Kansai as Destination for Fishing Trip in Japan - How to Go Fishing in Japan, as a Tourist
It is pleasing for me to see many foreign tourists in Japan, as they are not only interested in Japan but also coming to experience it by themselves. Because of the current economic environment (weaker Japanese yen,) the number of the visitors is quickly recovering to the level before Covid (reference with the graph in… Read more: How to Go Fishing in Japan, as a Tourist - Daiwa and Shimano; Mirroring Leaders in Japanese Angling Industry
There are two giants in the Japanese angling industry; Daiwa and Shimano. They are significant players in the global market. They are the best producers of highest quality fishing reels. I assume this is the fact and almost every angler knows about them. But have you thought about what made them who they are now?… Read more: Daiwa and Shimano; Mirroring Leaders in Japanese Angling Industry - Manga Comics on Fishing in Japan
Manga, comics, is one of the most important cultural treasures Japan has. Since the modern first series comic books were published around 1900, there have been literally thousands of them written. Of course, there are a lot of manga contents relating to fishing. In this blog, I will introduce you to some of the famous… Read more: Manga Comics on Fishing in Japan - Fishing for River Prawn
East Asian river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) is a popular target in Japan, among the expert fishermans. Despite the first impression of this 7 cm prawn, it makes a nice game on a thin and short whip telescopic rod. In this article, we will see how it is caught and what makes it interesting, first. Secondly,… Read more: Fishing for River Prawn - Kendo Ishii; Kendo’s Rules of Fishing
Kendo Ishii was a writer, who wrote a lot of science books for children. During his career as a writer and an editor in the Meiji era, Taisho era and beginning of Showa era (between 1888 and 1944,) he had written a lot about fishing. Japanese fishing tends to be catch and eat style, but… Read more: Kendo Ishii; Kendo’s Rules of Fishing - Fishing and Bushido, in Kaga and Shonai
Have you heard the word Bushido? It stands for “the way of samurais,” literally, and it tells you about how samurais had to live their life as a soldier. Interestingly, in one era, fishing was highly valued as a training program as a samurai soldier. In other words, fishing was considered to be a very… Read more: Fishing and Bushido, in Kaga and Shonai - Yuki Ito, the Multi Talented Japanese Product Designer
Japan Design Award iF Design Award Reddot Design Award Exhibitor in Milano Salone The person who won these awards is also a musician, artist, engineer, entrepreneur, boat driver, and angler. Yes. The name of this person is Mr. Yuki Ito, who founded Megabass. Megabass is one of the most famous lure brands globally, for its… Read more: Yuki Ito, the Multi Talented Japanese Product Designer - Why do you love fishing? Japanese perspectives.
Have you thought about why you love fishing? For many people, it is not an easy question to answer. You may answer that you love it just because you love it. I know that there are many aspects in fishing and it is not easy to explain it in short. In this article, I take… Read more: Why do you love fishing? Japanese perspectives. - Keitech, the Quality Lures Thoughtfully Produced by a Legendary Angler
Have you seen the soft lure labeled as “Keitech,” in the stores near you? Do you know that they are one of the best soft lures, made in Japan? While many of you have heard of or even used Keitech’s high performance lures, there is not much information about its history and background of developments.… Read more: Keitech, the Quality Lures Thoughtfully Produced by a Legendary Angler - Seiji Kato, the Master of Lure Building and the Winning Practitioner
Do you know what is common among these lures? Peanuts 2, Shoreline Shiner, Team Daiwa Vibration (TD Vibration), Bevy Shad, Flash Minnow, Pointer, Flick Shake, Vayron, Cross Tail, Scad Minnow etc. These are lures which Mr. Seiji Kato has developed in his career. As you see, these lures are from three brands, Daiwa, Lucky Craft… Read more: Seiji Kato, the Master of Lure Building and the Winning Practitioner - The Traditional Lure Fishing in Japan? From the history of Katsuo Fishing
Katsuo (Skipjack Tuna, or Bonito, Katswonus pelamis) is one of the most popular fish in Japan, as for the Japanese cuisine. For fishing, it is one of the favorite targets for boat fishing, while it may be second to tuna in terms of the popularity for target fish. As one of the most accessible and… Read more: The Traditional Lure Fishing in Japan? From the history of Katsuo Fishing - Fishing Shows in Japan: What Can We Expect There?
This year’s Yokohama fishing show, officially called the Fishing Festival, was held from the 19th of January, 2024 for three days. And the Osaka fishing show will open from the 2nd of February until the 4th, in 2024. Looking back at the Yokohama show, there were 35 thousand visitors and 49% increased compared to 2023.… Read more: Fishing Shows in Japan: What Can We Expect There? - The Man of the Strong Style, Norio Tanabe
This is an article of the man who became the first non-US citizen winner of a US bass fishing tournament, Mr. Norio Tanabe. He is one of the top anglers in Japan who has been one of the pioneers in bass fishing in Japan. He is not only the top tournament angler, but also a… Read more: The Man of the Strong Style, Norio Tanabe - Earthquake in Hokuriku, its effect on Fishing Industry in Japan, and Your Support
There was a big earthquake in Japan on the 1st of January in 2024. The shake from the oceanic plates right on the Noto peninsula in the region of Hokuriku brought the earthquake of magnitude 7.6 and tsunamis. In this article, I review the related area from a fishing point of view, and show the… Read more: Earthquake in Hokuriku, its effect on Fishing Industry in Japan, and Your Support - 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… Read more: Toshi Namiki, Palmares of Tournaments to Born O.S.P Lures
Posts about fishing tackles
- Funky Handcrafted Topwater Lures in JapanIn the fishing world, there is a segment of handmade tackles. I am sure that some of you have ever thought about carving your own lures out of balsa wood. The Japanese lure market is no exception. There are literally hundreds of lure builders (leisure builders and professionals.) Along the course, you need to remember… Read more: Funky Handcrafted Topwater Lures in Japan
- The Gigantic Squid Fishing in JapanThe squid is one of the popular fish in Japan, not only as a nice Japanese food ingredient but also a target.of fishing. It is said that there are about 140 species of squid around Japan. One of the biggest species is Taru-ika (literally, Taru for barrels and Ika for squid, “Barrel squid,” Thysanoteuthis rhombus.)… Read more: The Gigantic Squid Fishing in Japan
- Fuji Guide, Icon of High Quality Rods“Fuji Guide” You may have seen it on the tag hanging on your rods. The rod with the tags is equipped with the highest quality line guides, made by the company called Fuji Kogyo Co., Ltd. Fuji Kogyo is a Japanese company, which has revolutionized the fishing rods with innovation on line guides. This article… Read more: Fuji Guide, Icon of High Quality Rods
- How to Make Bamboo Poles in JapanBefore the graphite rod was invented by Dr. Arthour M. Howald, of Sakespeare Company, in 1947, the bamboo was the major materials for fishing rods. In the other side of the world, it was the same that the rod was made by bamboo. However the characteristics of bamboo rod in the west and in Asia… Read more: How to Make Bamboo Poles in Japan
- Japan’s Largest Lake for the World’s Largest BassIt is well known that Japan’s biggest lake gave the world record (not Japanese record) of bass, Largemouth Bass (Micropterus nigricans.) It is better to see it before reading about it. Here is the link to the video of the record fish. On July 2, 2009, Manabu Kurita achieved a historic milestone in sport fishing… Read more: Japan’s Largest Lake for the World’s Largest Bass
Posts relating to fishing techniques
- The Gigantic Squid Fishing in JapanThe squid is one of the popular fish in Japan, not only as a nice Japanese food ingredient but also a target.of fishing. It is said that there are about 140 species of squid around Japan. One of the biggest species is Taru-ika (literally, Taru for barrels and Ika for squid, “Barrel squid,” Thysanoteuthis rhombus.)… Read more: The Gigantic Squid Fishing in Japan
- Kazuma Izumi, the Legendary Pioneer in Japanese Bass FishingHave 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… Read more: Kazuma Izumi, the Legendary Pioneer in Japanese Bass Fishing
- Haruhiko Murakami, a Genius of FishingNeko 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,… Read more: Haruhiko Murakami, a Genius of Fishing
- Flirting Squid with ColorsOne 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. … Read more: Flirting Squid with Colors
- Squid fishing from a boat; Tip-run EgingSquid is one of the favorite species for anglers. We target it in various ways of fishing and we enjoy the taste of it after fishing. Presently, the most popular way of catching it is what we call Eging (pronunciation like ‘egg-ing’), or squid lure fishing (general idea was shown in this article). The word… Read more: Squid fishing from a boat; Tip-run Eging
Cultural aspect of fishing in Japan
- Fishing, Zen and Tacit KnowledgeThis is a very philosophical article about fishing in Japan. It is likely that you know someone who is good at fishing and you have no idea why he is good at it. Even when you ask him about his technique, he cannot express it well. I see there is a vast amount of tacit… Read more: Fishing, Zen and Tacit Knowledge
- The Gigantic Squid Fishing in JapanThe squid is one of the popular fish in Japan, not only as a nice Japanese food ingredient but also a target.of fishing. It is said that there are about 140 species of squid around Japan. One of the biggest species is Taru-ika (literally, Taru for barrels and Ika for squid, “Barrel squid,” Thysanoteuthis rhombus.)… Read more: The Gigantic Squid Fishing in Japan
- How to Make Bamboo Poles in JapanBefore the graphite rod was invented by Dr. Arthour M. Howald, of Sakespeare Company, in 1947, the bamboo was the major materials for fishing rods. In the other side of the world, it was the same that the rod was made by bamboo. However the characteristics of bamboo rod in the west and in Asia… Read more: How to Make Bamboo Poles in Japan
- Japanese Paintings on FishingJapan is surrounded by the sea and its moderate climate makes a lot of freshwater environments. People living here get familiar with fish and water, naturally. These things have made fishing very popular for a long time. In this article, we briefly see the Ukiyo-e, wood prints, and paintings related to fishing in Japan. I… Read more: Japanese Paintings on Fishing
- Goby Fishing, the Most Popular Fish in EdoFor you, it may be hard to imagine that small and trivial fish like gobies can be a main target fish. But it has been one of the most popular and accessible fish since the Edo period. In this article, you can see the reason why it became such a status and the way to… Read more: Goby Fishing, the Most Popular Fish in Edo
釣りとは絶対的矛盾自己同一である
Ken Kaiko, Novelist, "Fishing is an activity with absolute self-contradictory identity"
As an angler, we all know that we need to be patient, while we need to be short tempered. To reach the conclusion of getting fish, you have to wait, and at the same time you need to be quick enough to change and try new strategy or rigs. Mr. Kaiko describe fishing as above, and this let most of anglers agree with this saying.