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
- POZI DRIVE GARAGE; Characteristics Speaks in the Water
Since it was founded in 2015 by the famous sea bass angler, Mr. “RED” Nakamura and the lure designer Mr. Iimura have been creating products from unique view points. This uniqueness comes from the combination of the in depth mastery of shallow sea bass game of RED Namakura and feeling of the old American lures.… Read more: POZI DRIVE GARAGE; Characteristics Speaks in the Water - EZ Lab; Where Development and Production Goes Together
In 2004, a soft lure factory in Japan was established, with only one second-hand soft lure molding machine. Since then, this factory has traveled their path to study for the best lure. While it has been successfully helping other brands with their dedicated study, they reached their next stage to have their own brand. This… Read more: EZ Lab; Where Development and Production Goes Together - DRT; Stylish Brand with Performance Baits from Japan
DRT (abbreviation of “Division Rebel Tackles”) is the dedicated bass lure brand. Even this abbreviated alphabet name is not in your mind, the name of TiNYKLASH (Tiny Clash) may ring a bell for you. What brought DRT to become one of the most popular Japanese baits in the world is the superior products and fashionable… Read more: DRT; Stylish Brand with Performance Baits from Japan - HUDDLE; What Offshore Games Gather Up
What is the best in the hand made lures is that the designer can do whatever he/she wants in lures. For this freedom, anglers can see the big difference between good and bad in hand made lures. In this respect, the fishing tested or proven performance is the key to knowing how these handmade lures… Read more: HUDDLE; What Offshore Games Gather Up - KCE Tackle; Pop Feel in Bass Lures with Boat Sea Bass Background
KCE is a unique brand, not only because it produces the unique lures but the designer was a boat sea bass fishing guide. There may be no better position than to be fishing guides to know which lures work well, wherever you are in the world. They have a lot of experience to see which… Read more: KCE Tackle; Pop Feel in Bass Lures with Boat Sea Bass Background - Rise Japan; Offshore Lures for Fun Loving People
Japan is surrounded by the sea. This gives us big opportunities to catch fish and also develop fishing products. Furthermore it gives way to having huge varieties. The difference between brands are coming from the attitudes for fishing and on their products. Rise Japan has a clear attitude for fishing: To have fun fishing from… Read more: Rise Japan; Offshore Lures for Fun Loving People - BONHEUR; Rocking Japanese Handmade Bass Lures
If you hear the word “Rock” to describe fishing tackle, you may feel a little puzzled. However, after you see tackles from BONHEUR, your view becomes different. Having the Biwako Lake as a home lake, bass fishing has been in the heart of the company since its establishment in 2015. Along with bass fishing tackles,… Read more: BONHEUR; Rocking Japanese Handmade Bass Lures - Geecrack; Obsolete designs in Japanese Bass Fishing Scene
Since it was established in 2014, Geecrack has made a solid foothold in the markets. Their main markets are not only Japan but also the US. As a unique JDM lure brand, their own sales organization in Texas is selling a lot of Geecrack products in the land of bass fishing, The USA. One of… Read more: Geecrack; Obsolete designs in Japanese Bass Fishing Scene - Harness; Aesthetic and Optimization in Handmade Trout Lures
Since 2010, Harness have been producing the hand made lures, for trout and other categories. The Japanese company name is pronounced as har-ness, but the written alphabet name is “HaMess” because the spelling of harness looks like hamess. It is a witty side of the company. With this fun loving spirit, their product serves fishermans. … Read more: Harness; Aesthetic and Optimization in Handmade Trout Lures - Galapagos; Bait with Japanese Enginuity
What is your impression of Japanese products in general? High quality, high durability, and so on. Something that makes the Japanese brand itself is the well thought designs. Galapagos is the brand actively pursuing this direction. The brand’s statement said that they “GO DEEP.” It stands for that they dive into the products to make… Read more: Galapagos; Bait with Japanese Enginuity - Tana Jig; THE Saltwater Lure Brand
Looking at their website, you immediately realize that people in this brand love sea fishing. Established in the Mie prefecture, which has a lot of beautiful seacoast on the east side of Kii peninsula, it was very natural to think that the environment nurtures such a wonderful saltwater lure brand like Tana Jig. Their statement… Read more: Tana Jig; THE Saltwater Lure Brand - SIGNAL; Producer of Trophy Hunting Baits
Led by the professional bass angler and lure designer, Mr. Manabu Okuda, the SIGNAL brand was established around 2000. It focuses on catching the monster sized bass, which have driven them to have giant baits. Brief information about Mr. Manabu Okuda He started bass fishing at the age of 16. Born in Gifu prefecture, which… Read more: SIGNAL; Producer of Trophy Hunting Baits - BRIDGE; Precious Lures from Hardcore Fishing Shop
Passion for fishing takes many people to the path of hand made lures. For some, it is to buy these lures, but for others it is to make by themselves. BRIDGE is one of such brands. But it is not a hobby builder, to make itself outstanding something more is needed. Image from its official… Read more: BRIDGE; Precious Lures from Hardcore Fishing Shop - Valleyhill; Innovative and Unique Lure Brand
Valleyhill is a Japanese fishing tackle brand renowned for its innovative and high-quality products, serving both freshwater and saltwater anglers. The brand offers a diverse range of fishing gear, including soft baits, hard baits, topwater lures, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, metal jigs, jigs, and so on. Valleyhill is a part of Japan's biggest wholesaler, Taniyama Shoji Co.,… Read more: Valleyhill; Innovative and Unique Lure Brand - Angler’z System; Trout Spoon Specialist in Japan
This is a general introduction of the brand, Angler’z System. Angler'z System, also known as ANTEM outside Japan, is a distinguished brand in the trout fishing community, particularly recognized among competitive anglers with many spoon products. According to their homepage, they have been launching spoon products for over 20 years. One of their significant lures… Read more: Angler’z System; Trout Spoon Specialist in Japan - GRAYZ; Made in Japan Hand-Poured Soft Baits
GRAYZ is a fishing tackle brand specializing in high-quality bass fishing soft lures. They are one of few hand-poured soft lure factories in Japan. Designed for serious anglers, and using their own production facility as their advantage, GRAYZ lures combine cutting-edge materials, lifelike action, and innovative designs to enhance fishing performance. GRAYZ soft lures are… Read more: GRAYZ; Made in Japan Hand-Poured Soft Baits - SLP Works; Custom Parts Specialist
This is a general introduction of the brand, SLP Works. SLP Works is a premium Japanese brand specializing in high-performance fishing tackle customization and upgrades. As the official tuning division of Daiwa, SLP Works focuses on custom parts for reels, rods, and other fishing equipment with cutting-edge technology, precision engineering, and top-end materials. With a… Read more: SLP Works; Custom Parts Specialist - Tackle House; the house of firmly trusted lures in Japan
Firstly, please look at the lure below. Many of you have seen this lure. Simple beauty, perfectly stream-lined, and at the same time representing what the minnow shape lure should be. This is one of the best selling lure, K-TEN from the brand called Tackle House. There is a history and philosophy behind the brand… Read more: Tackle House; the house of firmly trusted lures 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
Posts about fishing tackles
- POZI DRIVE GARAGE; Characteristics Speaks in the WaterSince it was founded in 2015 by the famous sea bass angler, Mr. “RED” Nakamura and the lure designer Mr. Iimura have been creating products from unique view points. This uniqueness comes from the combination of the in depth mastery of shallow sea bass game of RED Namakura and feeling of the old American lures.… Read more: POZI DRIVE GARAGE; Characteristics Speaks in the Water
- EZ Lab; Where Development and Production Goes TogetherIn 2004, a soft lure factory in Japan was established, with only one second-hand soft lure molding machine. Since then, this factory has traveled their path to study for the best lure. While it has been successfully helping other brands with their dedicated study, they reached their next stage to have their own brand. This… Read more: EZ Lab; Where Development and Production Goes Together
- DRT; Stylish Brand with Performance Baits from JapanDRT (abbreviation of “Division Rebel Tackles”) is the dedicated bass lure brand. Even this abbreviated alphabet name is not in your mind, the name of TiNYKLASH (Tiny Clash) may ring a bell for you. What brought DRT to become one of the most popular Japanese baits in the world is the superior products and fashionable… Read more: DRT; Stylish Brand with Performance Baits from Japan
- HUDDLE; What Offshore Games Gather UpWhat is the best in the hand made lures is that the designer can do whatever he/she wants in lures. For this freedom, anglers can see the big difference between good and bad in hand made lures. In this respect, the fishing tested or proven performance is the key to knowing how these handmade lures… Read more: HUDDLE; What Offshore Games Gather Up
- KCE Tackle; Pop Feel in Bass Lures with Boat Sea Bass BackgroundKCE is a unique brand, not only because it produces the unique lures but the designer was a boat sea bass fishing guide. There may be no better position than to be fishing guides to know which lures work well, wherever you are in the world. They have a lot of experience to see which… Read more: KCE Tackle; Pop Feel in Bass Lures with Boat Sea Bass Background
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.