The Nippon Chronicles :

My Wanderings in the Land of Rising Sun & Fishing Tackle

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It's night on January 22nd, me sitting in bed with the laptop on my belly lazily looking at random video suggestions, with nothing in my brain other than weirdly shaped clouds moving around as I got ready to shut down for the day. A video showed up of a Japanese dude talking about his visit to Yokohama's Fishing Fest, onc of the two major annual Japanese fishing tackle shows. That video happened to have the option for auto-generated English dubbing, which is still not very good for Japanese language yet gets roughly 30% of what's being said right, so I enabled that dubbing and played it. 

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At the end of the video something happened. One of those moments in life where a passing comment of no apparent consequence sends you down a path that starts a chain reaction of events, leading to significant decisions that leave a mark on your life. One such example from my life was walking in a town fair as a kid when a guy running an air rifle stand said something to the effect of "come on lad, give it a try". I asked mum to buy me what I believe was a round of 5 pellets, did surprisingly well and won a small prize, and that got me hooked on what would become my primary passion, hunting weapons, leading to the current moment where I'm ~3 years away from saving enough to order a bespoke James Purdey double rifle costing slightly more than twice my house's current market value with commissioned relief engraving. Had that guy at the fair been looking away the moment I walked by, my life would've been very different now, and I'd probably be farming chickens instead because I had been bugging mum to buy me a rooster for some reason.

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Back to the video, the fisherman dude ended it by saying "you should go and touch the reels in the shows to be held around the country", and my half asleep mind went something like "yeah right, as if I'm going to spend....hmmmm". I could not finish that thought because I genuinely had no idea what the cost would be, not even the ballpark of it, despite feeling that for certain it's an obscene amount of money. Being constantly curious about stuff, I navigated to a flight aggregation site, and did a search using dates around the upcoming other major show in Osaka, which was to open to the public on February 1st and 2nd.

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The prices displayed for airlines I usually fly were expectedly very high, but a bunch of national carriers of Gulf states returned some shockingly low prices. I had heard that the governments of those wealthy countries subsidise their national carriers instead of letting them compete on the open market, which, despite going against principled capitalism, is a smart move to attract people who'd later balance it out by spending on accommodation and various activities inside those countries. Another explanation for these low prices could be the late booking, when airlines have already gotten enough passengers for the flight to go forward no matter what and now mere days before takeoff they're lowering the prices to fill the remaining seats instead of flying with them empty. Wouldn't fully explain why other airlines were still listing higher prices though. 

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Anyhow, now that I've seen the prices, my original thought of "as if I'm going to spend....." no longer works for the flight part due to how cheap it was. Completely freaked out by the idea of going to Japan on such a short notice without months of preparations, my mind immediately switched to accommodation cost as a final barrier that would kill that silly idea and allow me instead to stay in my comfy bed sipping hot coffee and finishing up the upcoming review as I had planned. I told myself that a hotel in Japan, one of the most expensive countries in the world, would charge so much I'd have to sell myself to the human traffickers who are freely sending streams of people across the English channel in order to afford a single night, and I went scanning hotels in Osaka to prove this once and for all.

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Alright, this must be a prank of some sort and someone has certainly hacked my computer to play me. It can't possibly be true that a 4 stars hotel in Osaka costs half as much as a 1 star dump in Paris where the management boasts that the rats in the rooms are smaller than those found in other hotels. This is not a joke by the way, I did once complain to a Parisian receptionist that my room had rats or mice, and he looked totally confused about why I was making a fuss about such a normal occurrence. At any rate, the prices of decent hotels in Osaka completely baffled me, and as my brain struggled to find the reason and whether it was the quiet tourism season or the very cold weather this time of the year, I slowly came to the scary realisation that I no longer have a justification to stay under my fluffy duvet and that I was indeed going to Japan!

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After 8 days of chaotic preparations that normally would take me 6 weeks, I found myself landing in Dubai, having booked Emirates airlines because they offered a generous cancellation policy unlike others who provided these deals on a "no refund" basis.

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Ready to board the big Airbus A380 for the final leg of the trip to Kensai airport in Osaka, not knowing that I was about to receive a few cultural shocks on this plane. To begin, my economy seat had enough room for a man to sit without his knees digging into the back of the front seat, the toilets remained clean for the duration of the trip thanks to regular maintenance by the crew, the food was suitable for human consumption unlike the fodder thrown at passengers by the likes of British Airways, Lufthansa, or Air France, and the thin and fit flight attendants acted as if they were there to serve us, not as psychopathic prison guards on a power trip like like their counterparts on US airlines or, to a lesser degree, some European ones.

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I mentioned the crew's physical fitness not because I enjoy looking at them, but rather to highlight the fact that the sane airlines of Gulf states pick the best people for the job, not hire according to social experimentation agendas; long trips with hundreds of passengers seated around narrow aisles require energetic crews able to move briskly and without inconveniencing those trying to catch some sleep. And since airlines keep shrinking the aisles to squeeze as many seats as possible in the frame, attendants need to be very thin or else they'll keep bumping into passengers sitting on the aisles, waking them up if they're sleeping as often happens to me. Unfortunately I have to sit on the aisle because I hate asking people to let me through whenever I need to wee or stretch my legs.

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 In any case....

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Am I actually in Japan mere days after the idea first popped up in my head? Disbelief was the primary feeling I had at that moment.

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Running to the nearest toilet to the arrival gate to return the two cans of Asahi I had on board to nature, thought I'd snap a picture of the world famous electronic Japanese toilet. More on it later..

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The signage in there was a bit confusing though. I mean I've always stood on the toilet and let go on the floor as per the illustration to the right, but now I'm told that I've been doing it wrong all those years?.

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To save time clearing customs, visitors can visit a website and enter certain information then obtain a QR code to scan at automated customs gates. I got the code, scanned it, but the automated gate would not let me through and instead directed me to talk to an officer. Went and spoke to one who was extremely courteous and friendly, asked me why I came then sent me though with a polite welcome. Being a global hopper who spends more time flying than driving, I knew what exactly happened here; they saw someone booking a flight crossing half the earth just 8 days earlier, which is not a typical behaviour of a tourist who instead would plan and book much earlier, so they wanted to have a quick look at me to make sure I'm not a drug mule or a prostitute. That's intelligent and efficient, unlike the random time wasting questioning I sometimes experience in other destinations. I guess the Japanese officer only needed one look at me to immediately realise that I look too dumb for anyone to trust me with drugs and too ugly for anyone to pay me for sex. Being an abomination of nature has its benefits.

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Next, I exchanged some cash. How gorgeous and very Japanese their notes are! As a rule, I never exchange currency in airports because it's a trap controlled by a cartel of exchange companies who pay governments for exclusive airport presence then rip people off with comically inflated rates plus commissions. In Kensai airport though I checked the rates at the very first exchange kiosk I saw, Kiyo Bank, and found them to be very reasonable. Further, I asked whether or not I was going to see any mysterious fees appearing on my final receipt unannounced as the frauds in some European airports do, was told no, so I exchanged right there and saved myself seeking fair rates downtown. Japan is a place where cash remains king and there isn't a business that refuses cash as is becoming increasingly frequent in many other countries. The only other developed country I can think of where cash still rules is Germany, which goes even further than Japan with some establishments rejecting cards altogether.

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Having done some rushed research in the little time I had before the trip, I already knew which train operator best suited my destination and learned how to use the ticket machines before arriving, therefore I went straight in and got my travel card from the machine like a pro.

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Here it is. Got this ICOCA card from the machine, which no matter how much I try I keep mispronouncing as "ICOCO". Maybe because that irritated duck on it feels more like a "coco" than an "coca". What do you think? Anyhow, it's similar to transportation cards one gets in many cities around the world, but with the added benefit that the balance in this ICOCO card can be used to pay for purchases in certain convenience stores on top of its main purpose of payment for transportation..

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The airport train dropped me in Namba, which is a major station where all sorts of trains and subway lines intersect, and it's the station for the heart of the city where many restaurants and tourist attractions are. Entering the station, I was greeted with one of Japan's most distinct cultural symbols; Manga drawings.They are ubiquitous in Japan, and frequently encountered in contexts that aren't related to art or entertainment. When I was young and shallow I used to call manga "weird", but someone I once worked with pushed back telling me that when he visits the US he finds military symbolism, bald eagles. "freedom this" and "freedom that" to be weird as well. I couldn't agree because I find these beautifully patriotic, but I got the overall point that no one gets to decide what's weird and what's not. That's why I now view manga as a fascinatingly different culture phenomenon instead of viewing it with any sort of a critical eye.

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The final miles of my long journey, the subway ride to my hotel, turned out to be the biggest cultural shock of the entire trip....

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At first, the carriage was spacious and I got to sit down, then it started to gradually fill up with people at each stop, and once all seats were taken and I saw a woman standing I gave up my seat to her and stood. So far a standard ride that I took in countless major cities around the world. Then, the subway train stopped at what's apparently a major station because suddenly streams of people came in. I was now standing with mere millimetres separating me from people in all directions, which as far as I'm concerned is as crowded as it could ever get. Of course now no more people will be coming in unless a similar number of people leave first. Strangely though, people kept coming in and pushing against one another and eventually against me, and in an instant I found my body pressed tightly against several men with an amount of body contact that I've never experienced in my life. It was a kind of unacceptable physical contact that would cause fists to be thrown if someone did it anywhere else, but to my absolute bewilderment people continued to act normally and speak to one another with their faces almost touching as if nothing unusual was happening.

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I stood there breathing rapidly because a dude was virtually lodged in my rib cage in a way that prevented my chest from fully expanding to breathe, and my mind was screaming "what kind of a deranged place is this where the concept of personal space doesn't seem to exist?". The train stopped, some people got out including the dude who almost became a permanent part of my body, and as I used this break to take deep breaths and send oxygen to my starved cells another wave of people came in and in a second I found a woman stuck deeply in my chest, even deeper than the dude was, as she continued to talk with her friend. At that moment my mind went "actually the whole concept of personal space is highly overrated, and maybe Western societies have become hostile because they don't enjoy these beautiful instances of physical closeness to one another". Man, her cute tiny body almost got absorbed and disappeared into my larger build, and her hair was right under my nose sending an aroma that could only be described as freshly baked cookies served in a field of misty lilacs straight into the deepest pit of my heart. That was the exact moment I realised that I've fallen in love with her, merely 25 seconds into our first encounter, beating my old record for the fastest I loved a woman by about 4 months! If by any chance she reads this, please marry me and bear my children. Actually even if you don't want to bear children not to ruin your delicate body, I'll find a way to bear them instead. Just marry me, please.

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Woke up early, after having slept very little both due to jet-lag and excitement about the fishing show. Sipping my morning coffee, this came up on the TV. That nation is totally obsessed with fishing. A place straight out of my daydreams. 

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As I quickly went over directions online, I found this aerial photo of the venue showing its closeness to the gorgeous Osaka Bay, which connects to larger bodies of saltwater ending with the Pacific ocean. No wonder fishing is this popular in Japan. The entire country is surrounded by some of the richest waters in all directions, and the islands comprising Japan are narrow enough for everyone to be living no farther than roughly 150 km (~ 93 miles) from either the sea of Japan or the Pacific ocean. That's less than a 2 hours drive I believe, unless unusual topography is involved in some instances.

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A champions' breakfast for the big day of tackle exploration ahead. Some food scattered on the tray not because I'm sloppy, but rather because some hotel guests brought a lot of kids to the breakfast buffet and those little brats were pushing and bumping into me. Who goes on a vacation and drags their children with them? Isn't the whole point is to get away from them for a few days?

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Anyhow, don't be offended if people you come across do not greet or acknowledge you in any way. The concept of saying good morning or nodding to strangers does not exist here, and while the Japanese will somehow understand and return your greeting, the Chinese tourists will not even make eye contact and greeting them in the elevator often got me confused looks and random humming in response. To be honest, I kinda like that. I don't care for the fake big smiles and "how are you doing" from strangers or people I vaguely remember seeing around the neighbourhood when I'm having a peaceful morning run. They smile in my face then turn around and gossip nasty stuff about me, probably saying I can't be trusted because I don't have a dog or whatever diabolical schemes those old hags keep concocting against me. But I digress.... 

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Down to the subway, normal advertisements featuring good looking people. No 350 pounds models in underwear, no bearded women, and no dual-language advertisement by doctors implying with very little subtlety that they do "traditional" female genetal mutilation (female circumcision), which is highly illegal yet nobody dares to touch it. The Japanese are basically maintaining the kind of normalcy that the West started abandoning around mid 1990s.

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Going up to street level at the show's stop, my child-like excitement about the event did not keep me from noticing the high level of cleanliness and maintenance of the subway network.

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A system of pedestrian bridges took me from the station to the show, giving me a lovely overview of surroundings but in the meantime exposing me to a piercing cold that I wasn't ready for. Temperature ranged from 3c to 9c (~37F to 48F) the entire time I was in Osaka, which is nothing compared to wintersI I spent in Scotland and Austria, but it was very windy which kept blowing that cold deep into my bones. I had not brought clothing that's sufficient to counter this, something I was about to regret over the next few days.

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The theme of unbelievable cleanliness continues. Not a single piece of trash in sight.

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The adherence to traffic lights is extraordinary, both by cars and people crossing. We'd be waiting to cross a tiny lane barely 4 metres wide, everyone could see that no cars were coming for half a kilometre, yet everyone would wait patiently for the green light and I'd be the only one acting fidgety wanting to make the swift cross that would take no more than 2 seconds. It felt more like a social gesture than anything else, essentially everyone telling the others that they are safe around them because they always do the right thing.

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Walking the final stretch to the venue I spotted more Japanese beauty; the manhole covers are engraved with art fit for a showroom, and each is treated against corrosion for better longevity and safety. Analogising this to the West would take us way past the 1990s; I truly think that the last time anything was as well maintained and meticulously cared for was maybe the Hyde Park during The Great Exhibition 14 years into Queen Victoria's reign. That's how the Japanese live today, every day. I hadn't been there for a full day yet but I was already falling in love for the second time, with the country as a whole, so now I had Japan and the subway angel in my fawning heart.

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Hmmmmmmmmmmmm........... Don't tempt me. I'm so infatuated right now I might just go inside and file my immigration application. A risky place for the immigration building for sure, just steps away from the international exhibition venue where overseas visitors would come and have their minds blown by the country then walk straight into the building to apply for residency.

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Finally....

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That is a lot of fishermen, and some of the longest queues I've seen. Walking to the end of the line seemed like something that needs a taxi then a ferry ride because it felt as if it ended somewhere in South Korea.

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Luckily I took a photo of the ticket while standing in the queue, because they took it at the door instead of tearing a corner and giving it back so I could keep it as a memento.

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Another unmissable mark of civility; hundreds had already eaten their breakfast and drank coffee or tea, yet not a single piece of trash or even a small wrapper on the ground. Everything is neatly in the rubbish bins, and the fluid containers are separately placed in the plastic bag to the left so they don't spill on other types of  trash and create a sticky mess.

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At the entrance of one of the 4 show halls, young people greeted us and placed those bands on our wrists so we could freely exit a hall and enter another all day. Oh, and Japan is so safe I could wear one of my nice watches over there, something that has become too risky to do in major European and American cities thanks to widespread violent robberies in which victims are sometimes sliced with machetes or burned with acid into permanent blindness for their watches....

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Not that it's going to be an issue for me going forward anyway, because I'm moving away from the despicable Rolex brand, who in my opinion looked away as their dealers unloaded watches to grey market flippers and treated us real collectors like trash since about 2017. Instead I'm developing an interest in Grand Seiko as a part of my transformation into a Japanophile, whose watches are much less recognisable by the thugs now in full control of our streets. But I digress, yet again.

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Fuji's booth was closer in size to a small village....

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Every rod component imaginable, with various stations manned by technicians demonstrating certain rod building techniques or explaining products' features, along with a wall celebrating global rod builders who collaborate with the brand.

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A display of Fuji's seat development beginning from the 1960s (top left) all the way to 2025 (right bottom). Welcoming company staff approached and offered to show me anything I liked or wanted to learn about. A level of care and attention that positively surprised me.

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For a second my brain wondered what Honda was doing there, then I remembered that they are a major manufacturer of marine motors used on fishing boats.

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Ripple Fisher exhibited a wide range of rod styles, carefully grouped by the fishing technique, with boat casting being the highlight of the collection.

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Olympic Co., a prolific manufacturer of quality rods whom to the best of my recollection I have not seen exhibiting in American or European shows before. I was beginning to realise that this show has an unmatched presence of rods and their manufacturers, likely due to the fact that it's held in Japan, the nerve centre of tackle manufacturing and home to top rod brands, who can show their products here without being restricted by the costs and logistics of shipping rods intercontinentally. Giants like Shimano & Daiwa can afford to fly containers of rods to every corner of the world, not as easy for many other brands, particularly relative to the expected return in revenue from such a big investment.

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Throughout the day people took to this stage to announce and promote new products, with uniformed venue organisers holding a rope as a symbolic perimeter outside of which people should keep moving to avoid blocking the lanes. I have to say that everyone perfectly adhered to this rule while I was the only caveman momentarily stopping outside of the rope to see what's happening. I'd soon move on though because the language barrier kept me from comprehending anything. It did get awfully crowded at times, often forcing me to leave a hall and go discover another then come back later after choke points had dispersed.

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My favourite fluorocarbon, from the only brand that fabricates fluoro from the ground up including composing the raw material.

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They had a "three wheels of fortune" game, where people would spin the wheels and win a Seaguar prize or Seaguar-themed item. There were many giveaways everywhere in the show, with brands coming up with little fun games as an excuse to give people stuff.

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Some of their fluorocarbon and braid, both new and existing, with the "Grand Max FX" at the bottom left being their new flagship fluoro coming later this year. Punishingly expensive, but from the little I understood it's supposed to be a breakthrough that combines all the desirable characteristics of different types of fluoro into one line without the need to compromise on a characteristic for another. Will certainly put these claims to test if they ever add 60# and higher to the lineup.

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BKK is virtually a one-of-a-kind story, where a Chinese company excelled enough to become an actual rival of top brands instead of following the typical path of Chinese brands who at best become an acceptable alternative offering fair quality for the price. When high quality tackle come from China, they usually belong to American or Japanese brands who manufacture in China under their own strict quality standards. BKK though is a fully Chinese hook brand that made it all the way to the top on its own.

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Observing BKK's ascendance initially made me wonder if this could one day happen with reels, meaning a Chinese brand making a reel that gives the Japanese and Taiwanese a run for their money. But then I realised that it's not a question for the future anymore, and that now is the right time for this to happen and it should actually be a BKK reel. I've seen more OEM Chinese reels than I could count, the vast majority of which are subpar, yet every once in a while I'd spot one showing glimmers of superb manufacturing quality. These don't persist though because quality costs money, and no obscure manufacturer realistically expects rewarding sales numbers if they invest that sort of money and price the reels accordingly. Japanese brands spend tens of millions on state of the art manufacturing and labour because they know people will buy the reels thanks to name recognition and desirability, but an unknown Chinese factory wouldn't get this benefit even if they build reels that are actually better than everyone else's.

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Now, with BKK becoming the breakout kid who made a Chinese brand a respected household name, it's an outstanding opportunity for them to capitalise on the brand's existing name recognition and prestige to sell a line of well made big game reels, knowing that anglers would give them a serious look due to the established reputation of the brand. They can be priced quite high, as long as the quality matches the price of course, because a higher price actually lends credibility to a product, being indicative of a genuine attempt to create quality. Take it from someone who's spoken to more than 150k fishermen since this site went live in 2011 and knows how judiciously and critically they think. The brand could maybe start by contracting factories to make parts to their own design then assemble the reels in a BKK facility, then if the product takes off they can invest in their own reel manufacturing plant as well as a network of service centres and spare parts in major markets. Their existing infrastructure and global partnerships for the hooks' business would make this easier than it would be for a brand starting from scratch. 

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The reel doesn't have to reinvent the wheel or have unprecedented innovations. There are already enough sound design principles out there, which everyone has been recycling with very little actual innovation. Focus instead on premium components and high performance alloys that are too costly to source and process for standard reels, keep it simple without gimmicks, and utilise proven architectures smartly in a balanced package that fishermen would want. Not a very challenging task if they knew what they're doing. 

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Why would I want a Chinese brand to challenge established ones? And why wouldn't I want more competition and options from whomever it comes from? I have praised quality reels from Shimano, Daiwa, and Taiwan for many years, and I have as much loyalty to Japan and Taiwan as I have for China, which is exactly zero. If I am to ever worry about subconscious loyalty it would normally be for Penn or Hardy, but certainly not for an overseas brand whose origin means absolutely nothing to me. But I digress, once more....

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A more classic market leader of hooks, Owner had an enormous booth with a bigger lineup than anything I've seen them exhibit overseas. Seen here are their "Hand Armour" fishing gloves, which are supposed to provide strengthening support to hands during fights while being thin enough to allow the wearer to tie knots without taking them off. 

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New and upcoming trebles STX-60 and 71, rated for fish weighing up to 200kg (440 lbs).

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For those who prefer single hooks on their top water lures, new ones are coming in both bare and "assist" configurations.

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And for us, the historically oppressed and marginalised jigging community, brand new assist hooks, along with split rings released last year that are advertised as overly strong for their size.

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And some hooks that come with their own shiny spoons/attractants, or these spoons/attractants sold separately so you can attach them to your own rig. As you might have noticed, all of the above is marked "Cultiva", which is the branding Owner uses for the Japanese market and sometimes partially overseas. I highlighted Owner's "Taff Wire" logo (inset) for future reference later in this article.

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Let's see if I can get into Daiwa's jam-packed exhibit....

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Nope, not from this side. Let's try another one....

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Not gonna happen. I'll keep circling....

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I give up. This bears all the warning signs of becoming another subway crunch, and this time there isn't even the potential of meeting another fragrant angel since they're all dudes. I've had enough sausage rubbing against my thighs (thankfully not my butt because I'm taller than the average man) for one trip, and no tackle is worth going through that again. I'll go have lunch and come back later.

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A small food place situated between halls, but kept going because everything was written in Japanese and I had no idea what any of the dishes were, or whether or not they had soy in them which I deeply fear for its estrogenic effects.

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The main food alley at the show, once again no English language in sight, and as far as I could tell all the dishes on offer looked like raw octopus with mucus, raw octopus without mucus, or no octopus at all and instead just mucus. Unfortunately I neither eat raw fish nor am I a fan of mucus. Food stands further down the alley didn't seem to be any different, evident by one of them having a giant inflatable octopus wearing a bandana on top of the stand.

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The other half of the food alley was even scarier, seemingly offering raw fish in a bronze pot, mucusy noodles swimming in soy, and that thing at the far left looked suspiciously like a human brain's CT scan. Having become completely freaked out, I decided to postpone my lunch plans until I could get to the Burger King near my hotel, hoping that it would have an international menu and not raw octopus burgers or something.

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Let's see what they have in that hall.

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That is one humongous place.

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Saw several Japanese brands that I've never heard about before in this show; Matsuura lures was the first of which. They had a selection of their products on display, particularly "eging" lures, which is a  specialised squid fishing technique that's very popular in Japan.

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People were standing in lines so long I couldn't see what was at the end of these lines.

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Followed the lines around a turn and found that half of the people queuing wanted to be photographed with this lovely lass and get her autograph.

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I have no idea who she is or why she is more popular than anything else in the entire show, but it goes to show the universal acceptance of fishing in Japan and how it's interwoven into the popular culture.

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The other part of the queue seems to end at Shimano's exhibit.

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Specifically to meet this gentleman and get his signature.

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Here is a better picture, and I'm sure many of you recognise him now. He's a popular fishing tackle expert whose social media has an impressive following of Japanese anglers, many of whom came to greet him in person.

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Moreover, Shimano had a stage and a full lineup of their stars scheduled to appear on it. I don't believe I have previously encountered anything on this scale in the fishing world. Outside of Japan this sort of celebrity is usually reserved for singers and actors.

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Shimano had a jungle of rods.

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Seriously. These couple of photos only capture a tiny portion of the rows upon rows stacked with rods, where in essence every rod type they make is represented in different configurations. The biggest Shimano rod display I've seen anywhere else was at most 30% of the size of this one. I should mention that everywhere in this show is yours to handle and try it in any way you wish without needing to seek permission or have someone supervising what you can and can not do. Whenever space allowed, people would help one another do bending tests of the rods, and I believe I spotted strangers gladly helping other strangers by holding the tip of the rod for them as they bent it to feel its action and behaviour under load. An atmosphere of joyful comradery between visitors and exhibitors as well as among visitors themselves, where everyone was enjoying their passion in utmost civility.

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Thankfully they had a big sign up in the air telling me where the spinning reels are, because it could've taken me a while to find them on my own in this expansive exhibit. As I make my way there, I kindly remind you of the golden rule of my coverage of tackle shows; I'm only showing you what's there and giving purely descriptive information and nothing more. Do not take anything I show or describe as an opinion or a factual statement on performance, and when I relay to you claims made by manufacturers it does not mean that I'm confirming their accuracy or veracity. I only reach such verdicts after buying reels retail and fishing them exhaustively. If you ever see me acting differently please delete the bookmark and forget about this site because it would mean that I've sold out and accepted one of the offers to prostitute my pen.  

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The latest 2024 Vanford, confusingly called "Vanford A" in some export markets and "Vanford FA" in others, because Shimano is a silly company. They now officially identify it as the cousin reel to the 2023 Stradic (Stradic FM in export markets), claiming that the Vanford is about lightness and increased rotor responsiveness/sensitivity thanks to the reel's full construction of CI4+ carbon-reinforced plastic, while they describe the 2023 Stradic as the one with higher rotor momentum during rotation because it has a heavier rotor made of their standard plastic. This is in my opinion convoluted and redundant as I'll explain in a minute, but this is how Shimano presents it nevertheless.

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This new Vanford receives the latest features already found in the 2023 Stradic, such as the separate soft fin in the bail arm for line retention, the upgraded fabric weave of the felt drag washers, and, most prominently, the redesigned drive gear with its larger diameter and bigger teeth for increased strength and expanded contact surface with the pinion.

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Here is a demonstrator gear set next to the reel, comparing the previous gear to the new one. This gear enlargement is Shimano's centerpiece upgrade for this cycle, and it'll be making repeated appearances as we look at more of their new offerings.

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The upcoming 2025 Ultegra (Ultegra FD in export markets). According to Shimano it's lighter than the previous generation, has the new bigger gearing, the updated bail arm fin, and they place it in the "momentum" team due to its heavier rotor made of standard plastic.. 

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Interestingly, the new Ultegra has the "CI4+" logo in some literature and on Shimano's Japan website, but there is no mention of any part of it being made of that improved plastic. I tried asking them at the show, but the language barrier coupled with crowds of visitors waiting for their turn to speak to them forced me to move on without getting my answer. It could be a mistake, but one way or another I'm going to find out for sure when mine arrives.

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Another demonstrator gear set next to the Ultegra, which this time I zoomed on so you could better appreciate the increase in size. Considering its lower price, if this reel actually performs as it's supposed to, it could become the freshwater equivalent of the Spheros SW-A, meaning an unprecedented value for money that makes buying one feels more like stealing. Actually it could even be a bigger deal because this Ultegra has a worm shaft oscillation with reduction gear set, expensive and refined features that I do not mind in freshwater reels, therefore it could produce the precision casting and line control of high end reels at a fraction of the price. We shall see in due time, but this reel excited me since I first heard about it, and having it in my hand and running a multi-point check on it only excited me more.

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Another new release, the 2025 Twin Power XD.

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Look at those spool cosmetics, with the skirt's split appearance and the cut-outs resembling a classic BMW grille. It's beyond me how they keep coming up with fresh ideas for skirt cuts, when I could have bet that they've already done it every way possible and there can't be anything new. This reel is a beauty.

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A live demonstration of what Shimano calls "InfinityLoop" in the new Twin Power XD, which, as usual, means whatever they want it to mean with no consistency in application. In this 2025 Twin Power XD Shimano decided that it refers to a very slow oscillation cycle, which lays coils of line in an almost parallel pattern, something that existed before under different marketing names. Naming nonsense notwithstanding, this slow oscillation actually produces longer casts, as well as a smoother drag performance since when the line is pulled off the spool it changes direction fewer times and gets pulled from extreme ends of the spool less frequently. In this live demonstration, Shimano had the line pulled from two 2025 Twin Power XD reels, one of which had the "InfinityLoop" oscillation while the other had a faster oscillation, and everyone could see the two rod tips act differently with the tip of the "InfinityLoop" reel twitching much less than the other one.

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I explained this effect of the slower oscillation using the exact same words 12 years ago in the 2013 Stella SW review, although it was not nearly as slow as the current system. I love that Shimano now explains these intricate design aspects to fishermen so they'd better appreciate the engineering that goes into spinning reels, something I've strived to do in the reviews since day one.

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To the right, they explain another new feature in the Twin Power XD, where the spacing in the line roller group has been revised to allow more rapid ejection of water. To the left, they show a heavier rotor made of standard plastic next to a lighter one made of CI4+ plastic, but instead of acknowledging the obvious fact that the CI4+ plastic is a higher grade construction they assign the advantage of "momentum" to the cheaper and heavier rotor, while they assign the advantage of responsiveness and low-inertia to the CI4+ one. They then group the reels so that those that supposedly have momentum are in what they call "Coresolid" group, whereas the reels described at responsive go into the "Magnumlite" group, and accordingly place the new Twin Power XD in that second group due to its CI4+ rotor. Now let me show you why I view this as marketing nonsense that lacks consistency and is void of logic;

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A graph from Shimano's website showing the grouping, and the first question that comes to mind is why, for instance, would a Stradic benefit from the momentum of a heavier plastic rotor yet the Twin Power XD wouldn't? What sort of a speciality fishing does the Stradic do which requires that momentum in particular but the Twin Power XD does not? And is there a reason why we should be happy that the Stradic doesn't have the benefit of a sensitive and responsive rotor? And the argument goes the other way too; why would we be content that the Twin Power XD lacks the momentum of the Stradic's rotor? Wouldn't we want the easier retrieval of lures, one of the main benefits of rotor momentum, on our Twin Power XD reels as well? It's one thing to discuss this in terms of heavy duty saltwater reels vs lighter freshwater reels, but it's completely nonsensical to use it to differentiate reels that aren't all that different.

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Another glaring problem with the grouping in the image above is the inconsistency; the reels in the bottom group all have CI4+ rotors so there is no problem here, but the group at the top lacks uniformity since the 2022 Stella and the 2024 Twin Power (not XD) have metal rotors, while the 2023 Stradic and the 2025 Ultegra have standard plastic rotors. Why are two types of rotors with categorically different behaviours in a single group?

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Back to the new 2025 Twin Power XD at the show, in addition to looking very beautiful, this reel immediately hit me as one of the smoothest spinning reels I have felt. By "smoothness" I mean the correct definition of the word, which is a fluid consistent action free of felt or heard mechanical noise or points of roughness, not to be confused with "free-spinning" which is the light operation without much resistance, often erroneously called "smoothness". Anyhow, I'm not going to rate this new Twin Power XD in terms of smoothness now because it's a pre-production exhibition reel, but if the actual production ones feel the same I'm going to place it high on the smoothness scale. Shockingly high.

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The new 2024 Stradic SW, which in sizes 5000 and up is the exact same reel as the 2020 Saragosa SW-A with a different handle grip and external cosmetics....

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.... While size 4000 of this 2024 Stradic SW is in fact a 2023 Stradic (FM in export markets), also with a different grip and cosmetics. So, right now Shimano sells two virtually identical reels in the Japanese market under two different names; the 2023 Stradic 4000 XG and the 2024 Stradic SW 4000 XG, the former is priced at 30,300 yen at the time of writing while the latter is priced at 35,000 yen. Apparently printing the letters "SW" on a reel costs an extra 4700 yen (US $31) .

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That's all for Shimano. Nothing else of interest in their display. Let's go explore the rest of the show.... What? Why are you yelling at me? What's wrong?

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Aha, I see. Didn't think you'd be interested in this one, but there you go;

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The new 2025 Stella SW, which Shimano only released in three models so far; the 10000 PG, the 10000 HG, and the 14000 XG. The one photographed here is a 10000 HG with the ball handle grip.

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An angle that you're probably seeing for the first time; showing the new shape and location of the draining holes in the rear bumper, as well as the "bridge" between the handle base and the front flange. I obtained some juicy details about the creation of this reel, which you shall in context see when it's reviewed. Let me give you a little nugget now though, which is a worldwide exclusive that has not been announced or published or discussed anywhere in any language at the time I am typing this; these 2025 Stella SW reels no longer have a ball bearing in the rotor nut, which was a component of the "floating shaft" feature whose job was to reduce friction between the rotating rotor and the main shaft. Instead, these new Stellas have a bushing in its place. This is the first time a saltwater Stella comes without this shaft-floatation bearing since 1995.

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Now that this information is out there will be all sorts of speculation, but wait until you hear what is really happening and how it all affects real life performance on the water when the reel is eventually tested and reviewed. Remember when I told you in a recent article that the 2025 Stella SW was the most significantly changed Stella? You haven't even seen half of it yet.

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The 14000 XG with the egg handle grip.

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Body sculpting.

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In terms of looks, the 2008 generation has long established itself in my heart as the most attractive saltwater Stella of all time, but this 2025 version is mounting a serious challenge to it because of its flawless adherence to a single visual character. I'll reserve my final judgement of the aesthetics though until I get to spend as much time with it as I did with its silver/golden ancestor 17 years ago.

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The gear enlargement naturally made its way to the flagship reel, here the previous gear of the 2019 model next to the new one.

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Shimano heard the universal praise of Daiwa's 2020 Saltiga large drag knob and went for something similar, here the knob of the previous Stella SW to the left next to the enlarged one of the 2025 model.

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Everyone was excitedly examining the updated gear and knob, but barely anyone paid attention to this unremarkable sad looking plastic bag. I jumped on it because to me it's way more important and has a bigger novelty factor; this is the new large drag washer that goes at the top of the spool of the new Stella SW, next a washer from the top stack of the 2019 generation. The complete lack of interest in this bag by people around me made me think that if I slipped it in my pocket and walked away no one would notice. No, I wasn't going to steal it to use it for my reels, rather I wanted to find a quiet corner and take a bite of the washer to see if I could eat it to allay my raging hunger. At that point my stomach was starting to digest itself, so I was basically having myself for lunch as I stood there.

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Another live demonstrator where they placed two 2025 Stella SW reels on rods next to one another, one with the new feature called "InfinityDrive" and one without it, and invited us to wind both reels against an identical resistance to feel the difference. I did just that, and the new reel felt easier to turn by what I estimate to be ~10%. I'll explain in detail what "InfinityDrive" is and isn't in this reel's review, but for now it's safe to say that it makes a difference.

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In the few minutes I spent around this reel, I noticed that a good number of visitors were focused on the new Stella SW's particular version of the "InfinityLoop" feature, in which instead of oscillating very slowly up and down like the 2025 Twin Power XD or the 2022 freshwater Stella, the new Stella SW's "InfinityLoop" version moves the spool very slowly in the downwards stroke but changes speed and moves it faster in the upwards stroke. This lays the line in close coils in one direction then lays a layer of line on top of it in a wider cross pattern in the other direction. This, once more, shows the silliness of these marketing terms since "InfinityLoop" here means a completely different thing than it does in other reels. But that's not what concerned the fishermen at the show about this reel. What they apparently focused on was the possibility of line digging at high drag settings, and whether or not the faster half of the oscillation cycle was enough to mitigate the risk introduced by the slower half of that cycle laying line in almost parallel pattern. I had no clue what was being said, but it was easy to understand that this is what was being discussed by observing how they moved the spool and gestured the dual speed.

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The new "InfinityConnect" concept is basically a sales ploy arguing that people need to buy other Shimano tackle in order to unlock the full potential of the Stella SW, which is insultingly stupid yet lovably characteristic of both Shimano and Daiwa, whom over the years tried to get our money in the most ridiculous ways imaginable. Love you guys, don't ever change.

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That said, on individual basis without any "Connect" goofiness, I examined the Ocea Plugger Limited rod which is the second leg of the "InfinityConnect" trio, and found it to be very well made and I believe the innovative guides on it will actually achieve what Shimano claims in terms of reducing line flapping and friction. I allow myself more freedom voicing my initial impressions of rods, because I don't systematically test, rate, or recommend rods therefore my passing thoughts on them won't sway anyone. Anyhow, the third leg of the trio, the Ocea 17+ braid, was nowhere to be found other than in the graphics and some strands inside a glass display. Don't know whether they had spools of it at the show but they weren't there at the time I passed, or the line is still not yet ready for packing on retail spools. I don't have much to say about it since I didn't get to see or touch it, but it's supposedly a weave of 16 strands around a core 17th strand, all made from a polyethylene fiber called "Izanas" whose manufacturer claims has unprecedented tensile strength. We shall see what's all of this about when things move from proposition to reality.

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It's crazy to think that I've been telling myself that I need to put aside my usual 8 strands braids and try the next generation 12 strands ones, but before I got to do that the world has already moved on from it and now we're talking 17 strands. I wonder if by the time I get a spool of the 17 there would've already been new braids with a number of strands equal to the number of genders the smart people told us exist, which I believe was 334 by the latest count. But I digress, for what feels like the tenth time. Hope you're keeping count because I'm not.

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And a quick look at some Shimanos that aren't new, because why not?

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The reliable 2023 Stradic (FM export), which mimicked its two predecessors in securing a spot on my Top Picks , making it three successive generations.

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And here is the 2023 Vanquish (Vanquish FC export), for no other reason than taking a moment to admire its cheeky name.

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With an even cheekier name, the 2023 Hyber Force LB, with a finger-controlled lever that when not engaged allows the reel to spin backwards, but when that lever is pulled a gradual resistance is applied against the back spinning until it stops it completely. This is a secondary mechanism totally independent from the drag, providing another way to play the fish as well as allowing the fisherman to quickly drop the fish or bait in his hand once he lifts the rod, instead of having to open the bail. A very well designed and built system in this one, applying resistance progressively to prevent a sudden stop that could cause the fish to pull free. Shimano in general is specially gifted when it comes to non-standard mechanisms. Their free-lining mechanisms in the Baitrunner reels remain unequalled in reliability.

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The 2022 freshwater Stella (FK in some export markets), which should change early next year if Shimano follows the rule of the past 15 years where they revamped the model every 4 years (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).

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The 2021 Twin Power SW, another model whose clock is ticking, since its renewal always follows that of the Stella SW.

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The 2019 Stella SW 4000, one of the smallest and lightest fully-sealed reels available today.

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And the gigantic 2019 Stella SW 30000, one of only three current production reels that make my hand look small. What a beast.

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In case you're wondering why there are still any previous generation Stellas at the show,  it's because the 2019 Stella SW in sizes 4000 to 8000 and 18000 to 30000 remain technically the "current model" since only the 10000 and 14000 have ceased production and their replacements introduced in the 2025 lineup. This multi-stage release policy in my opinion allows Shimano to see how the initial reels are doing and fix any problems that might appear before the rest of the models are released, but it has the negative consequence of making people hesitant to buy the sizes still in production because now they know that within a year they will become the old discontinued model. Not sure if Shimano fully appreciates the downsides of this split release approach.

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More big signs to tell us where to find stuff in this town sized exhibit.

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Also rows upon rows of Shimano's lures in current production. Too many to show them all, but here are a few highlights....

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The new offshore "Screw Drive" lures to the right have rotating fins that splash and bubble and create havoc to attract fish, each lure comes with two different fin sizes. These lures also create a flickering light effect, which isn't actually light that they emit but rather they contain a spring mounted reflective plate that flutters rapidly, reflecting light and creating that flashing effect. I know that lures need to act crazy in order to entice bites, but this one with its splashy fin and flashing lights seems to be trying to push fish to suicide. The new Arma Joint 220F lure is on the left, and it also does the flashing thing.

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Not all new, but some styles and colours are.

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Ditto.

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These very long rods are used in traditional Japanese fishing disciplines such as Ayu (sweetfish) fishing.

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Some of you were amused by my 6 metres rod? Check out this 8.5 metres ProSelect  VS!

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Priced at 163,000 yen, about US $1075 at the time of writing.

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Or how about its 9 metres sister, the ProSelect TF, costing 188,000 yen (US$1240)?

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This 9 metre Advanforce costs even more, with a 222,000 yen (US$1463)) price tag.

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All of these are built with Shimano's own cross wrapping blank construction technique called "Spiral X", which is designed to prevent tube distortion under load.  

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How far away is your fish? Would this 10 metres Dragonforce be long enough to reach it? If it is, you better have 248,000 yen (US$1635) to spare.

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Tens of thousands of dollars worth racks of rods.

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Everyone, including myself, got to experience their startling lightness relative to their extreme length, as well as their smooth bending and virtual one-piece behaviour once the telescopic sections are firmly extended. I do not fish this style, yet I can tell a quality product when I see one. These rods are pure quality.

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Picked a catalogue to learn more about it. Who knows, maybe I'll actually immigrate to Japan on a whim and my next review will be of these rods from the bank of the Yura river in Kyoto.

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Two ladies whom I assume have a fishing show, going by what's on the screen behind them. More evidence to the mass popularity of the sport over there. I can't recall seeing any popular fishing shows hosted by women outside of Japan. Of course I'm talking about actual fishing shows, not women pretending to be fishing or bow-fishing as an excuse to show off their half naked bodies to horny conservatives, who react indignantly to the debauchery of the other side but then walk into this thirst trap of supposed "outdoors" girls. Yeah, because apparently women can't land a fish unless their butt is hanging out of a Brazilian bikini, nor are they able to sharpen a hunting knife unless they hold it right in front of their cleavage. I digress though, for the second time. (Come one, let's pretend I've done it only twice. Am I not your good buddy?).

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Some monstrous electric reels, for when you're trying to pull fat ones from the deep.

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To make the point, they had this beast hanging behind the electric reels' counter.

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This booth offered Owner catalogues for 300 yen. Did I tell you that, with rare exceptions, catalogues aren't free over there? I'm used to picking up all sorts of catalogues for free everywhere, so earlier when I walked by Daiwa's exhibit I pulled their 2025 general catalogue from a table and almost walked away, only for the girls behind the table to inform me that I need to pay for it. I gave it back and walked away completely mystified.

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When I spotted that sign my brain went "oh, Fisherman rods are here", only to realise a second later that it actually said "Fishman".

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Soon afterwards I thought "alright, but at least Zenaq has a booth here", followed by the instant realisation that the sign said " Zeque". Apparently my body had finished eating the layering of my stomach and begun consuming my brain, because that's the only reason I could think of for my failure to read simple signs correctly. I was so hungry I began renegotiating my stance on raw fish, but I knew it was a slippery slope where today I'll eat raw fish and next day I'll justify eating my neighbour's cat. Nah, I'll keep going.

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Xesta was there. I'm familiar with their lures, some of which are considerably pricy, but this was the first time I saw their rods in person. The joy of the many "firsts" I had at that show was something very special, really. Anyhow, the prices did not seem unreasonable considering how well constructed the rods felt to me. Great blanks and premium components finished to excellent standards.

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Some Varivas classics that have been updated to 9 strands construction. I bought many Avani Jigging spools over the years, but in the 8 strands configuration.

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You get to touch and feel and tie knots in various braids in multiple strengths. Pretty much everything in this show is a hands-on experience.

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Varivas booth had its own stage, with a long list of events and speakers listed on the boards. I can understand Daiwa and Shimano featuring many speakers since they have a million products to talk about, but what would all those Varivas speakers say other than "hi, our line is awesome, bye"? I mean if you invite me on the stage, that's exactly all I'll have to say, except I'd end my short speech by asking people if anyone has sandwich leftovers or even cookie crumbs in a paper bag that I can lick. I had entered a phase where I saw my life passing before my eyes and a bright light ahead of me....

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Phew! Turns out I wasn't dying, it was just the bright light of Maria's booth. That's a brand that manufactures lures of outstanding quality in Japan, and in my opinion they are among the best factory made lures both in terms of action and resilience of the finish after several hits. Brace yourselves for some quintessentially Japanese ingenuity in this booth....  

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