Craft of Japanese Traditional Fishing Rods Preserved; Bamboo-Made, Edo Wazao Rods Still Made in Tokyo

By Tatsuya Imaoka / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:39 JST, March 21, 2026

In an ukiyo-e painting by Utagawa Hiroshige titled, “Edo Meisho Shiki no Nagame, Ryogoku Natsu no Yukei” (famous view of Edo in four seasons: summer evening at Ryogoku), women hold fishing rods while enjoying the cool evening on the riverbanks of the Ryogoku district in Edo — Tokyo, today.

As seen in the master work, fishing was often depicted as a commoner hobby during the Edo period (1603-1867) in many ukiyo-e paintings.

The Kanto region is home to a variety of fish species throughout the seasons due to its many rivers, such as the Arakawa River, Sumida River and Tama River, all which flow into Tokyo Bay.

A type of traditional Japanese rod, Edo wazao is believed to date back to the middle of the Edo period. The first owner of a fishing rod shop, Taichiya Tosaku, likely popularized the tsugizao style, which is a fishing rod made from short pieces of bamboo cut for easy transport and then joined together when needed.

In 1991, the government designated Edo wazao fishing rods a traditional craft. Currently, Edo Wazao Kumiai, a cooperative of about 10 craftsmen headed by Yasuo Nakadai, works to preserve the Edo style of fishing rods.

“Because bamboo fibers are long, the rods can naturally pull fish out of water without excessive force, reducing the chance of the fish getting away,” said Hitoshi Yoshizawa, 75, who also the owns the Saoyoshi workshop in Ota Ward, Tokyo. “The rod allows the person holding it to feel more precise reactions from the fish. I think that the joy of fishing is most felt with wazao rods.”

Edo wazao rods utilize the characteristics of several varieties of bamboo and are made by joining several pieces together from the handle to the tip.

The joints are wrapped with silk strings and painted with Japanese lacquer to give strength as well as a beautiful finish. Therefore, though Edo wazao rods are practical items, they also serve as high-value craft works.

Yoshizawa, who has loved fishing since childhood, studied under Kisaburo Yoshida, a famous master craftsman of wazao fishing rods to catch thread-sail filefish. He had turned 40 and was running a designing firm at the time.

He worked during the weekdays and dedicated himself to making rods on the weekends, honing his skills for 15 years before going independent.

Edo wazao rods are generally made to order. They are made from bamboo that has been left to rest for more than three years, and go through many processes such as cutting out the necessary sections and winding strings around them.

The most important step is heating the rod over fire. It serves not only for adjusting bending points, but also raising the overall strength of the rod.

Yoshizawa said, “This is like inserting a soul into the bamboo,” while placing a bamboo stick into a kiln. Then he straightened the bending points of the bamboo stick with a tool.

Though members of the cooperative are aging, three young craftsmen joined in recent years.

Yoshizawa, who also serves as deputy head of the cooperative, said: “It’s encouraging to have young men with such high potential join us. I hope they will convey the unique appeal of wazao traditional fishing rods.