Kuma Eging & Fishing: Osaka Tackle show 2013

I woke fairly early this morning excited about going to play with all the shiny toys at the Osaka Fishing show, and catching up with my mates who would also be at the show today, we are staying at the Hyatt Rgency at Intex, a cracking hotel with a cracking buffet breky, amazing mix of eggs, bacon and custard filled doughnuts for me with plenty of coffee to wash it down, I met a wholesaler from France who operates out of Hong Kong named Eric and Steve from Gladiator for the morning feed, was interesting talking to Eric about how the world fishing market varies so much.

Staying at the Hyatt I was sadly informed that I would have to walk to the exhibition I thought hang on a sec, I dont do walking and was prepared to get a cab to the show, I was directed out a back door and sure enough no more than 200 paces in front of me was the Intex Building where the show was being held so a quick morning stroll and we were on our way, this place is huge, it makes jeffs shed look tiny in comparison.

We got inside to find a very formal ceremonial opening of the show with speeches and ribbon cutting a very different experience to the other shows I had been to. After much applause and what sounded like the bells ringing in wall street the doors were open. For those who have been to the AFTA show in Australia to try and explain how many people were there for business only talks on the first day, there was more people in the foyer in 1/2 an hour than there were people for the whole show over 3 days at AFTA it is a huge event.

As I walked in one of the first stands I came across was the Gan Craft and Gosen Stands, I walked over to the Gan Craft stand to meet with some of my friends to find the surprise of a bill board with my mug on it, after the shock and horror wore off I went to have a look at it, holy crap I cant believe I have my own billboard. After expressing my humbling thoughts to Mr Kake from Gan Craft he then tells me that the bill board is nothing much and I should see the full page ad in Lure Magazine. Oh dear who would have thought I could have ever put the word international model next to my name....piss funny but very humbling.

I am not going to talk too much about the show from today as the first day is a day for business talks only and it would not do it any justice, tomorrow and Sunday are the public days of madness so I will keep most of the show stuff for then, all I will say is WOW.

So I had been walking around looking at big boys toys from 0900 till 1700 I was starving, I was asked to join the Gan Craft friends and family dinner at a local Izakaya Resturaunt. Thank god I had some where to put my legs under the table as a table on the floor is not built for a man of my carriage.

Massive thanks to Mr Yuki Kitagawa for sorting out most of the language barrier, to every one at the show that made me feel welcome and my Gan Craft family for their amazing hospitality