How to read Japanese catalogs?
I know you'll be stunned by the letters and characters printed on the Japanese catalogs. They are not in English, but in JAPANESE. And you'll surely need some help to read the photograph loaded catalogs. Let me navigate through the Japanese catalogs.
Reels
There are specialized reels, not much common outside of Japan. They are for example, lever brake spinning reels, long spool surf spinning reels, motor powered multiplier reels, Chinu drifting reels. These are specialized on Japanese traditional fishing styles, and not recommended for the rest of market unless you understand the functions very well. Details about them are following.
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Lever brake spinning reels: They mostly don't have spool drag system, and let line goes by applying the brake using the lever, while rotor of the reel re-rotate to release lines. These reels are often used for ISO (off-rock) saltwater fishing to have more control in fighting and to use smaller lines. You'll need long, very flex rod to use these type of reel or lines will easily break. |
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Long spool surf spinning reels: These are designed for casting long from shore. Most of these are designed for KISU or KISS fishing. Kiss grows up to 12 inches on sandy shore, and people are crazy to fish them from shore to cast 150-200yds. One reason is that the Tempura of Kiss tastes the best, and another is that casting far itself is fun. Because target fish are not much large, some reels doesn't have spool drag and spool is rigid to spool shaft. Surf casting competition is another direction for the tackle. After reaching more than 270yard of casting distance records in 1980's, now most competitions are under a relatively strict rule of specific sinker weight, like 5/8oz. Rods matched up with are 4-4.5m or 13-15ft surf casting rods. |
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Motor powered multiplier reels: These are for deep fishing. How deep? Up to 500m or 1,700ft. Crazy? Oh, yeah Japanese anglers are also crazy as well as anglers in other area. If you understand that the average depth of ocean is about 3000m or 10,000ft, what we are exploring with fishing tackle is just skin deep. Big fish are below the range you can search. hahaha Most motor powered reels are used by rich, elder anglers for fishing good tasting fish at 100-300m depth (330-1000ft). Once you fish 100m depth with heavy 20oz sinker whole day, you'll appreciate the invention. These motor powered reels also have handles and you may reel in by hands, when fish strikes. 12V battery needed. Small ones are in the size of Calcutta 400. The largest motor reel is in the size of largest trolling reel, and it cranks at 80kgf or 178lb of Daiwa Marine Power 3000 super deep reel. Got be careful or you'll be pulled into water! |
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Chinu drifting reels: Chinu is snappers. They are very nervous, and catching the fish require a lot of skills. Drifting baits, like crabs and shellfish is one of the popular tactics. The drifting reels are used for the tactics to hold excess lines. Therefore, Chinu reels don't have spool brake like centrifugal system to cast. |
How to read reel Specs: from left, model name, grear ratio, drag capacity(N)/(kg), weight(g), line capacities, line retrieve, # of ball bearings and roller bearing, MSRP(jpy), product code #
Model name: Chart above is from Shimano catalog P12, for Ultegra XT reel. If you may not read it Ultegra, please let me know by the far right code numbers, like 012388. There are three models in the series, 10000XT, 12000XT and 14000XT.
Gear ratio: 4.3:1
Drag capacity: 15kgf is about 33lb. 1kgf=2.2lb. For some long-casting spinning reels, drag is not equipped and the number tells the breaking load or guaranteed load. Shimano puts 20kgf for non-drag reel as breaking load. Daiwa puts 8kgf as guaranteed load. For lever brake reels, the capacity represents the max brake force by lever.
Weight: 690g is about 24.6oz. 1oz=28g For the Ultegra XT, all models are in the same weight, meaning the difference is only at spool size (depth).
Line capacity: 6-300 means 300m of #6 line. 1m=1.1yard #6 line is 17lb test line. Therefore it means 17lb-330yards. Here is the conversion chart for line # and lb tests.
| Japanese line # | US lb-test | Japanese line # | US lb-test | |
| 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 | |
| 1.5 | 4 | 6 | 17 | |
| 2 | 5 | 7 | 20 | |
| 2.5 | 6 | 8 | 22 | |
| 3 | 8 | 10 | 27 | |
| 3.5 | 10 | 12 | 35 | |
| 4 | 12 |
Retreive speed: It retrieves 103 cm or 40.6 inches per handle rotation. 2.54cm=1 inch
Ball/roller bearings: It has 4 ball bearings and one roller bearing
MSRP: 15,000jpy if currency rate is 100jpy=1US$ it is $150. Tax and shipping are not included.
Product code: it helps to place an order for a product when you cannot read Japanese characters.
Rods
Rods are listed in 10 classifications on Daiwa catalogs. These are from ISO (off-rock saltwater), Fune (Boat), Surf (spinning only), Ayu (no-reel, freshwater), Keiryu (no-reel, freshwater, creek ), Hera (no-reel, freshwater, crappy like fish), Bass , Trout , Fly fishing, Saltwater (saltwater game fishing using lures, including jigging)