Jewelry with a Samurai Spirit

6 May 2008 Category: Craftwork, Japan, Product, Tradition

Jewelry with a Samurai Spirit

Kaga fishing flies are tiny works of art with a long and fascinating history. They say they have the spirit of the samurai inside them. Meboso Hachirobei Shoten is a shop that has preserved that tradition to the present day. By designing new products and finding new markets, they are doing a booming business. This week, PingMag MAKE spoke to Yuji Meboso, the 20th generation owner of this family firm.

Interviewed by Takafumi Suzuki
Translated by Claire Tanaka

Form and function at its best, just 2600 yen!

I’m not very familiar with Kaga fishing flies. They’re a traditional folk art, aren’t they?

Yes. They’re a designated Ishikawa Prefecture Folk Craft. Of course, there are plenty of fishermen who are fans of the flies who use them even today. A fishing fly is a fishing lure that is made to look like an insect, using things like bird feathers and animal fur.

You must have a special attachment to fishing, and to fishing lures, then?

No, not particularly (laughs). Well, I don’t dislike it. My mother is the one who is really into it. She’s over seventy years old, but she never misses the first day of ayu season (laughs).

She’s really serious about her fishing, then. Mr. Meboso, how many generations have there been now in your business?

If you’re talking generations, then I’m the 20th generation. The founder started the business about 430 years ago. But, I’m actually the second-born son in my family, so that’s probably why I’m so laid-back about it all.

An old picture from Kanazawa showing people fishing for ayu

An illustration of the Meboso shop from the olden days

Four hundred and thirty years, there’s a lot of history in this shop.

Yes. It was founded towards the end of the Sengoku (warring states) Period. The shop started out selling sewing needles. Back then, sewing needles were a very important, essential household item. They were used for sewing jute bags and umbrellas, and for binding books. Also, people would buy cloth for a kimono and then sew it themselves. Back in the Edo Period, we were the official sewing needle supplier to the Maeda Han.

So you didn’t deal in fishing hooks back then?

The history of Kaga fishing flies started in the Edo Period. But at that time not just anyone could go ayu fishing. Only the samurai were permitted to do it. So, the samurai who enjoyed ayu fishing would take sewing needles and bend them themselves, and make their own flies by hand.

The shop started out as a sewing needle shop, and still sells needles today

This retro needle packaging is still used

There’s something romantic about the image of a samurai taking his handmade fish hook to go fishing by the river.

Oh, but it really wasn’t. The Edo Period bakufu government watched over the Maeda Han very carefully to make sure it didn’t grow too powerful. People weren’t allowed to publicly train in the martial arts. That’s when they got the idea to go ayu fishing. Using the fishing rod in place of a sword, the motion of swinging it up and down to cast looked like they were just playing. But for a samurai, walking on the rocky riverside was also good training for their legs and back.

Wow, the Maeda Han samurai really used their heads.

Yeah (laughs). But, where they really used their heads was with the ayu fishing itself. The act of fishing for ayu is really a contest of wits, man against fish. By putting a variety of colored hairs on the hook, you can deceive the ayu. Feathers of the common pheasant, the copper pheasant, the peahen, as well as lacquer, foil, and animal skin on the hook are used to make it look like a mayfly or a mayfly larva. The interesting thing about the Maeda Han samurai was how they used their aesthetic sensibilities to catch fish.

They sell 800 different kinds of needles today

Beautiful fishing flies framed and on display

How did they do that?

What they used to call the aesthetic ideal of “iki”, you know? There is one other way of catching ayu called “tomo zuri” which the samurai avoided, since they thought it wasn’t iki. Tomo zuri is when you use an ayu fish itself as bait to catch more ayu. The samurai thought that was a cowardly way to do it. It wasn’t iki. I think that Kaga fishing flies were able to be developed to the very ideal level of the craft because of the samurai’s beauty-loving dispositions.

When were regular folks finally allowed to fish for ayu?

Not until the Meiji Period (1868+). It became very popular quite suddenly, and by the Taisho Period (1912 –1926) Kaga fishing flies had become well-known all over the country, and annual production reached over one million. There must have been a lot of fishing fly artisans and fishing rod craftsmen in those days. Now, there are only eight people left who make Kaga fishing flies.

For some reason many of the fishing fly artisans are women

The packaging gives off a pedigreed atmosphere

Your shop really has the heavy weight of history on its shoulders, doesn’t it! So tell me, why did you choose to take over the family business, even though you’re the second son?

My big brother was supposed to take over the business, but he said, “I never want to be in the fish hook business!” and he really felt strongly about it, it seems. But our parents said “We won’t allow it. You must carry on the business.” My brother could see that if he wanted to both get his way and satisfy our parents, he wasn’t going to be able to get away with just getting any old job. So he studied like hell and passed the national exam to become accountant (laughs). If he became an accountant, our parents wouldn’t be able to complain. I didn’t have anything else in particular in mind, so I ended up carrying on the business.

You didn’t have any reservations about taking over the fish hook business?

None at all. I was just like, “well, I guess I’ll do it.” I was able to take it over without feeling any pressure about how old or important it is.

Brightly colored brooches

The use of color is so fresh!

Looking very much like an insect

I think it’s amazing how lighthearted you can be about taking over a business with over 430 years of history behind it. But, you’re also trying something quite unique with using Kaga fishing flies to make jewelry, aren’t you?

Yes. Amongst the fishermen, some say that it’s not our place to get into such a business. But, Kaga fishing flies have a long history and tradition. You need a lot of skill to make them right. There has to be a certain amount of work to do in order to maintain that skill level. No matter how beautiful the fishing flies are, the only people who will buy them are fishermen. That’s where we got the idea to make jewelry from the fishing flies. That way we can sell them to regular people, to women. Now, we sell more jewelry than we do flies.

I see, you really are thinking hard about this. It seems like Kaga fishing flies are going to be able to adjust to a new era and survive after all.

I hope so. Thanks to the jewelry aspect, we seem to have solved our problem of finding artisans to take over from those retiring from the business. Traditionally, fishing flies have been made by women. But, these days if you ask a young woman, “How’d you like to become a fishing fly artisan?” you’d be met with a “Huh?” but if you say “How’d you like to design jewelry?” then they might say “I think I’ll try it!” Or at least that’s what we hope (laughs).

Meboso Hachirobei Shouten
11-35, Yasue-machi, Kanazawa city,Ishikawa

Yuji Meboso
Born in Kanazawa city, in 1968. Twentyth generation owner of Meboso Hachirobei Shouten

57 Comments

  1. I like the jewelery!!

    Posted by: FJ on May 11th, 2008 at 10:56 am

  2. those brooches look really fragile but so beautiful

    Posted by: Anonymous on May 18th, 2008 at 5:28 am

  3. fantastic post! the facts about the samurai training are amazing, using fly fishing as a samurai workout makes total sense ( I’m a kendo 2nd dan ). And the facts about the “iki”, art of fishing versus the “easy one” are elevating that practice to an art ! On the craft side, the baits “ornaments” are beautiful and looklike delicate little sculptures. Again, great post, it make me want to get my camera, take a plane and do a documentary about that matter right away ! thanks !

    Posted by: prezd on June 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 am

  4. I saw these for sale (hooks, jewelry, and needles too) at a craft shop near the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa City.

    Posted by: Claire on July 8th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

  5. im doing research on predator/prey
    pattern recognition as it applies to
    species evolution-i suspect that
    kaga flies incorporate color patterns
    that ayu innately perceive as prey-im
    working on a math model of the system

    Posted by: dr rupert on March 23rd, 2009 at 1:26 am

  6. One of the most interesting articles and pictures I have seen online! :)

    Posted by: fisherman on January 17th, 2010 at 9:33 am

  7. Thanks for an honest and truthful post, I like it very much. And happy new year!

    Good writing, this article bring me a lot. Your blog is great, thanks for sharing.

    Thank you dsbcbfor bringing more information to this topic for me. I’m truly grateful and really impressed.

    Posted by: men watches online on May 23rd, 2011 at 11:50 am

  8. I like your website, also Knowing the calories in foods, will help you know how many calories you have consumed during the day. This will in turn, help you to maintain your calorie balance to reduce weight.

    Posted by: calories for food on May 25th, 2011 at 8:37 am

  9. Wow great stuff. I love what you have here.

    Posted by: Lightyear wireless on June 5th, 2011 at 5:05 am

  10. If you want to know more about Backlink Profit Monster REVIEW, is Backlink Profit Monster SCAM or Even The Real Deal? You’ve come to the right site.

    Posted by: Anonymous on June 12th, 2011 at 3:17 am

  11. I want to see the many development of this site.

    Posted by: innovative healthcare on June 15th, 2011 at 3:04 am

  12. Here’s another great article on the subject: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/why-do-we-need-personal-development-to-be-successful

    Posted by: personal development on June 16th, 2011 at 4:44 am

  13. “To stop suffering, stop greediness. Greediness is a source of suffering.”-Buddha.

    Posted by: future of computing on June 17th, 2011 at 1:08 am

  14. Nice Website! You should promote it from the messaging console at QuickSendSMS.com. Easy to use, nice and quick and you can text friends about it for free.

    Posted by: QuickSendSMS on June 17th, 2011 at 10:47 am

  15. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful.

    Posted by: Internet Strategy on June 25th, 2011 at 2:56 pm

  16. Keeping fit and healthy will always be a most interesting subject.

    Posted by: DavidT on June 26th, 2011 at 10:29 pm

  17. Your blog contains many interesting topics which I have enjoyed. It will be source of very important and interesting education for many years. What I was most interested in is how to get free traffic to my blogs with very little effort.

    Posted by: free website traffice on July 3rd, 2011 at 10:10 am

  18. i wish i could build a good blog like this..thanks

    Posted by: Marketing Strategies on July 9th, 2011 at 12:39 am

  19. This is beautiful i cried reading this article,I need to get back into tying flies ….

    Posted by: RX-79[G]-5 on July 10th, 2011 at 2:36 pm

  20. Well, I wonder how many more high police, government, and News Corp officials

    Posted by: Affiliate Marketing Reviews on July 20th, 2011 at 6:29 am

  21. If u like soccer visit us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by: Soccer on July 22nd, 2011 at 5:07 am

  22. You’ve got great insights, keep up the good work!

    Posted by: Free Facebook Like's on July 31st, 2011 at 1:32 am

  23. I am a giant fan of foreign exchange and finance so I find this topic very interesting. I always like to undertsand a brand new method of looking at it. Thanks for the information.

    Posted by: Marketing Strategy Template on August 16th, 2011 at 5:34 pm

  24. I’ve by no means seen it from that perspective. Luckily there are multiple approachs to do things. I actually enjoy business and finance so this post offers some attention-grabbing concepts for me to think about.

    Posted by: Examples Viral Marketing on August 17th, 2011 at 12:52 pm

  25. I am an enormous fan of forex and finance so I find this topic very interesting. I always like to undertsand a new means of taking a look at it. Thanks for the information.

    Posted by: Skinny Guy Muscle on August 21st, 2011 at 9:07 am

  26. I enjoyed studying this post. I am happy to search out this post as a result of I’m interested in the topic.

    Posted by: Health Natural Products Database on September 9th, 2011 at 10:03 am

  27. I really would like to learn more information about your business, what is it and why is it important.

    Posted by: Perfect Pitch Recognition on October 11th, 2011 at 2:42 am

  28. My personal opinion is that this article is terrific. I agree with much of the information you’ve provided and I’m interested in reading more articles written by you. Good job! http://www.samsung1080phdtv.net/

    Posted by: samsung 1080p hdtv on October 17th, 2011 at 5:51 am

  29. Companies Hiring Freshers Now. Sign up for Free to Apply.

    Posted by: Anonymous on October 19th, 2011 at 9:36 pm

  30. I really would like to learn more information about your business, what is it and why is it important.

    Posted by: christian louboutin on November 10th, 2011 at 10:18 am

  31. You’ve hit the bull’s eye with this content. I agree with your points and I love your approach in this writing. Your writing style is right up my alley. I enjoyed your article very much.

    Posted by: credit personal loans on November 11th, 2011 at 9:09 am

  32. Hey, you used to write excellent, but the last several posts have been kinda boring¡K I miss your tremendous writings. Past several posts are just a little bit out of track! come on!

    Posted by: Anonymous on November 11th, 2011 at 9:10 am

  33. You must have a lot of pride in writing quality content. I’m impressed with the amount of solid information you have written in your article. I hope to read more.

    Posted by: e cigarette reviews on November 11th, 2011 at 9:13 am

  34. This is a terrific article. You make sense with your views and I agree with you on many. Some information got me thinking. That’s a sign of a great article.

    Posted by: prado cigarette on November 11th, 2011 at 9:16 am

  35. This is a good article. It’s not only interesting it’s compelling and you have written your views well. You have really done something good with this informative article. Thank you.

    Posted by: blackburn taxis on November 11th, 2011 at 9:16 am

  36. I am glad to read about someone else’s opinion. I completely agree and I look forward to seeing more of this content in the future.

    Posted by: Austin Apartment Finder on November 11th, 2011 at 9:17 am

  37. It’s become uncommon to find superior article content online anymore. I was happy to find this well-written article. There are many reasonable points made that caused me to think. I have to agree with many.

    Posted by: bingo bonuses on November 11th, 2011 at 9:18 am

  38. Fin IS Wonderful

    Posted by: Hector Negley on November 11th, 2011 at 9:20 am

  39. my comment

    Posted by: kurs php on November 12th, 2011 at 8:09 pm

  40. Thanks for the interesting post. I swear, you learn something new every day.

    Posted by: professional bra fitting on November 23rd, 2011 at 4:18 am

  41. anunciar no katavendo agora ficou mais facil, os anuncios s�o 100% gratuitos e voc� conta com suporte on-line e atendimento por telefone. anuncio, anuncios, anuncie, anunciar, classificado, classificados, classificados gratis, anuncios classificados gratis, imovel, imoveis, autos, automoveis, automovel, veiculos, carros, motos, celulares, video-games, computadores, dominios, cameras digitais, livros, quadinhos, revistas, cds, cd, dvds, DVD, hd, informatica, eletro-eletronicos, eletronicos, audio, video, decoracao, joias, relogios, esportes, lazer, negocios, filmadoras, videos, selos, moedas, ferramentas, antiguidades, raridades, oportunidades, promocoes, empregos, curriculos, servicos, artigos esportivos, empresas, produtos, vestuario, revistas, Sao Paulo, sp, Rio de Janeiro, rj, parana, pr, classificados, katavendo, kata-vendo, catavendo, cata-vendo, an�ncios, gr�tis, gratuitos, gratuitamente, empregos, oportunidades, comprar, vender.

    Posted by: Kata-Vendo - Bons ventos para seus neg�cios on November 25th, 2011 at 4:07 am

  42. จากประสบการณ์กว่า 20 ปี เกี่ยวกับธุรกิจยา และอาหารเสริม พร้อมความมุ่งมั่นที่จะพัฒนาอาหารเสริมของไทยให้ทัดเทียมกับระดับสากล เพื่อตอบสนองทุกความต้องการของทุกกลุ่มผู้บริโภค ทั้งเรื่องของคุณภาพ และราคา จนได้รับการยอมรับจากกลุ่มผู้บริโภคจากหลากหลายสาขาอาชีพ ไม่ว่าจะเป็น กลุ่มนักธุรกิจ พนักงานออฟฟิศ แม่บ้าน นักเรียน นักศึกษา ไปจนถึงกลุ่มศิลปิน ดารา นักแสดง

    Posted by: อาหารเสริมนาตาลีเดวิส on November 26th, 2011 at 10:34 pm

  43. Lorem sonyn wzwalkman sit amet, Cyber Monday Deals in Cell Phones & Accessories

    Posted by: technology on November 28th, 2011 at 4:00 pm

  44. comprar caneta filmadora

    Posted by: caneta espia on November 29th, 2011 at 9:50 pm

  45. Anuncie no Katavendo e usufrua DE TODOS OS BENEFICIOS OFERECIDOS, NO KATAVENDO voce encontra: anuncio, anuncios, anuncie, anunciar, classificado, classificados, classificados gratis, anuncios classificados gratis, imovel, imoveis, autos, automoveis, automovel, veiculos, carros, motos, celulares, video-games, computadores, dominios, cameras digitais, livros, quadinhos, revistas, cds, cd, dvds, DVD, hd, informatica, eletro-eletronicos, eletronicos, audio, video, decoracao, joias, relogios, esportes, lazer, negocios, filmadoras, videos, selos, moedas, ferramentas, antiguidades, raridades, oportunidades, promocoes, empregos, curriculos, servicos, artigos esportivos, empresas, produtos, vestuario, revistas, Sao Paulo, sp, Rio de Janeiro, rj, parana, pr, classificados, katavendo, kata-vendo, catavendo, cata-vendo, an�ncios, gr�tis, gratuitos, gratuitamente, empregos, oportunidades, comprar, vender.

    Posted by: An�ncios Gr�tis, An�ncios Classificados - Kata-Vendo on November 30th, 2011 at 1:43 am

  46. wat a nice post

    Posted by: Movies and TV Series on November 30th, 2011 at 4:20 am

  47. Partaji Admin

    Posted by: Partaji.com - share the info ... on December 2nd, 2011 at 1:08 pm

  48. Thank you so much for this content, Im so lucky and glad that I found this website, Please keep this website going and I will keep

    Posted by: The Visayas on December 10th, 2011 at 3:49 am

  49. its a nice and interesting post, congratulations and happy holidays!

    Posted by: diet and fitness on December 20th, 2011 at 7:36 pm

  50. This is an extermely interesting website with very nice articles.I have bookmarked and will check back often. Thank you for your contribution.

    Posted by: How to Get a Woman Back on December 29th, 2011 at 3:46 am

  51. thanx for your valuable post….bookmarked it…love to see this type of interesting posts again and again.

    Posted by: Enes Osmanovic on January 1st, 2012 at 5:18 am

  52. Hay very nice blog , keep it up buddy

    Posted by: Jammer on January 3rd, 2012 at 12:29 am

  53. What do you think about the last comment? I’d love to hear from the author.

    Posted by: dc tours on January 3rd, 2012 at 1:10 am

  54. Hey this is awesome blogs. Keep posted usefull information. Thank you

    Posted by: roll up awnings on January 5th, 2012 at 6:57 pm

  55. Polnische Band M�NSTER |Polnische Live Band +DJ |Polnische Hochzeit | Deutsch polnische Band | Polnische Hochzeitsband | Polnische Hochzeitsmusik | Polnische Live Musik NRW

    Posted by: Polnische-Hochzeiten, Hochzeit, Hochzeit-Band, Hochzeitsband NRW Polnische Hochzeitsband Hochzeitsmusik Polnische Hochzeit on January 27th, 2012 at 7:35 am

  56. Unsere deutsch polnische Hochzeit mit der polnische Band MOTET & DJ im Hamburg.

    Posted by: Web www.polnische-band-hochzeit.motet.de on January 27th, 2012 at 7:22 pm

  57. Very Nice Website you have, from where did you got it made? kindly tell me the developer you hired.

    Posted by: Marriage Palaces on January 27th, 2012 at 11:22 pm

  • Share and Enjoy:
  • del.icio.us
  • Fark
  • NewsVine
  • RawSugar
  • Reddit
  • YahooMyWeb
  • digg
Previously on PingMag MAKE