Japan Trip Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka and Tanabe Day 4

The Yokohama Show is a lot smaller than the Osaka show, probably about the same size as our Melbourne Boat Show in Physical size, the last 2 days I had just about done all the business I needed to do so it was now time to relax and just look at stuff.

Learning trends in tackle over here is important to see what the market will be doing in Australia, so a day of just looking at tackle and the interaction between consumers and various products makes it easier to understand what will be coming to Australia in the next 2 years. There is a big focus on light jigging products and let me tell you in Australia we have only just scratched the surface. It is clear that most of the technique we are currently using with light jigging is and has been technically wrong or less efficient than it could be. In the past 7 years since I started coming over to the Japan Shows it is amazing how many Australian fishing personalities, writers and store staff just make stuff up to sell rather than educating the people with correct information to be more successful in their fishing.

Having the opportunity to sit down and have a yak with the people who design the products to suit a particular fishing application has been pivotal to my growth as an angler and its great being able to return home to Australia and share the knowledge with our anglers.

I had the show almost all wrapped up and was ready for a nanny nap when I finished my last meeting, it was sit down time to finish off the Australian exclusive color designs for later this year, we have sent most of them back to the drawing board for completion and will review in the coming weeks when we get the samples back but I am happy with them thus far.

The guys from Gan Craft were heading off this evening while I was to stay on for one more night, I am heading off to Tokyo for a few days before heading back down south for the Osaka Fishing Show - the big one I have been waiting for. No flash restaurant tonight it was the hotel room with instant Ramen bowls and packing up all my crap for an early start on the trains.