Embarking on the Fishing Adventure: A Business Trip to Tokyo
As the end of 2024 draws near, I, as the head of Velrifya Tackle, am honored to be invited by our Japanese clients to visit Tokyo at the end of this year. As a fishing gear supplier and manufacturing partner, I will attend their company's year-end party. The Japanese company refers to it as "Bonenkai," which means to forget the unpleasantness of the past year and welcome a brand new year.
As representatives of a fishing tackle supplier and manufacturer, we are honored to be invited to our clients' internal company gatherings. In addition to deepening mutual trust, we also have the opportunity to better understand our clients' development plans for the New Year, preparing us to provide better services next year.
In our interactions with Japanese clients, we are business partners on a commercial level, but through frequent communication, we have developed a more personal relationship with several of them, akin to friends and companions. While Japanese clients are renowned for their rigor and professionalism during work hours, after work, there are social events similar to parties known as "Nomikai."
The contrast between the discipline of the Japanese workplace and the relaxation after work with alcohol is something that those who understand will naturally comprehend.
Over the past two years, by providing ready stock supply, brand white-label, and OEM services (where the client provides the design and we offer manufacturing services) to Japanese fishing tackle brands, as well as supplying ready stock of fishing tackle to local Japanese retail clients, our team has come to recognize that the Japanese fishing tackle market is significantly more mature compared to that of China.
Our team has learned a great deal about fishing tackle product philosophy and gained substantial experience in cross-national services during this process.
The innovative capabilities of Japanese fishing tackle companies, anglers' recognition of high-quality products, and the mature brand marketing mechanisms in the market command our admiration.
Therefore, at the beginning of 2024, we not only completed the registration of our Velrifya® trademark in the United States but also registered it in Japan. Both registrations have been successfully completed, and we have obtained the trademark certificates. We hope to be able to sell in the Japanese market in the future.
The high-quality design and meticulous manufacturing of Japanese fishing gear have provided our team with many learning experiences.
However, in terms of cost and production delivery efficiency in fishing gear manufacturing, as well as the stability of ready stock supply, our Velrifya's Chinese manufacturing efficiency, personalized service response, and product ready stock have an absolute advantage compared to Japan or other regions in Southeast Asia.
Therefore, in 2025, Velrifya will continue to serve our existing B2B clients and also launch Two New Initiatives:1. Officially initiate B2B services for freshwater bass fishing products in the United States, offering fishing gear ready stock supply, customization, design, and manufacturing production services to clients such as Brand Owners, Distributors, Retailers, E-commerce Sellers, Clubs & Associations.2. Develop several new retail-oriented products to target bass fishing enthusiasts or Tournament bass anglers directly under the Velrifya® brand. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me directly via email at jonathan@velrifya.com
I've gone off-topic; it turned into an advertisement for Velrifya. 😂😂😂
Apologies, let's get back to the main subject. 🚀🚀🚀
During this upcoming trip to Japan, I plan to arrange some personal time around my business activities, which will essentially be centered around fishing, haha.
My last business trip to Japan was in July of 2024, with a different destination from this time; I visited Osaka and Kyoto in the Kansai region. After wrapping up work, I purchased over $4,000 worth of fishing gear at a fishing tackle shop in Osaka and then went to Lake Biwa to catch bass, where I learned about the Live Scope deep-water fishing techniques used in Japan.
My last visit to Tokyo was quite some time ago, in October 2022. I remember after finishing work, I made a last-minute purchase of fishing gear and went to Lake Kawaguchiko at the foot of Mount Fuji to fish for Bass.
Daiwa's angler, Kyoya Fujita, attended the Human Fishing School, which is located in Kawaguchiko. I remember him sharing that he used to practice fishing at Kawaguchiko for over 300 days a year.
I remember that day it was a light breeze with a drizzle. Since I didn't have a Japanese fishing boat license, I could only rent a small rowing boat. Using a pig skin soft bait and techniques like drop shot and Japanese-style finesse jig, I caught two small bass.
So, during this long-awaited business trip to Tokyo, I will attend the annual party of our client's company, visit several Japanese fishing tackle retail and brand clients, and definitely go fishing in my spare time. Additionally, I will visit fishing tackle shops for some serious shopping.
''No, I shouldn't put it that way, haha. I should say, to procure fishing gear, learn about the exquisite craftsmanship of Japanese fishing tackle manufacturing, and purchase samples.🤣🤣🤣 ''
I will also go fishing by the water, marking my last fishing trip of 2024. It's the romance of being a fisherman. 👨🎣🥂🌹
My hotel has been booked near Tokyo Station this time. Bass fishing spots near Tokyo, aside from Lake Kawaguchiko which I've visited before, include Lake Sagami and Kasumigaura, which are well-known venues for the Japanese bass fishing competition JB Top50. I'm not aware of any others. Moreover, given the tight schedule this time around, which is mostly for work, it's not very realistic to visit these renowned fishing spots as they all require at least a four-hour drive.
I asked a local fishing tackle retail client, with whom I've had cooperation, and he told me that there's a place near Noborito Station in Tokyo where I can catch Bass and smallmouth bass. It's only a 40-minute drive from the hotel, so that's where I'll go.
I did some research on YouTube in advance about fishing spots in this area and found that it's a well-known fishing location. It's a river-type fishing spot with not very deep water, which flows all year round. Many YouTubers have caught smallmouth bass over 40 centimeters here.
I came across a YouTube angler who, in winter, used a C-rig with a small shrimp or bug bait and caught multiple smallmouth bass in a day. He also shared how to tie the C-rig he used, and I made two of them. I will definitely use this rig as my first choice for fishing.
I'm hoping to give Nories' attractant another try. I remember after winning at Smith Lake, Takumi Ito shared the attractant he used. I bought a set of this product and, following the recipe and instructions, prepared a batch of shrimp that Ito endorses, which worked really well. I've also used the Carolina rig at night in China to catch a bass over 40cm. Let's give it another shot this time.
For this trip, I'm planning to use the Nories shrimp worm bait endorsed by Takumi, paired with Nories' attractant, to see if I can find the Disneyland of smallmouth bass. 🤣 🤣 🤣
I also want to try the Mid-strolling rig with the Deps Sakamata Shad, as well as the winter-exclusive wonder weapon, the suspending small shad hard bait.
I actually wanted to play around with Raid's finesse jig, but after checking the fishing spot's environment, it doesn't seem suitable, so I'll skip it.
Regarding the fishing rods, since I'm going to Japan, it wouldn't be polite to use my favorite American brand, G-Looms. Of course, it's more courteous to use Japanese JDM Tackle, so I'm planning to check in three Daiwa Steez rods on the flight.
These will be used to handle the Carolina-rig, Mid-strolling, and the Shad.
Below is my preparation for the last fishing trip of 2024, including protective equipment for checking in fishing rods on the airplane.
At last, wishing everyone a Happy New Year! 🥳🥳🥳
I hope that Velrifya's clients are satisfied with our services in 2024. We will continue to work hard in 2025.
In my next blog post, I will share my experiences related to fishing and fishing tackle during my business trip to Japan, in between my work engagements.
Whether you are a fishing tackle industry professional seeking business collaboration or a bass fishing enthusiast looking to exchange fishing techniques, please feel free to reach out to me via email at jonathan@velrifya.com.