Saws, files, and even 55 different blades for silverwork—he makes them all by hand. The craftsmanship born from these self-made tools has supported the precision of Sendai fishing rods. Rather than fighting fish, he fishes as if conversing with them. Rods embodying this philosophy take a year to complete from the order. Why does the last successor of Sendai rods, at 93, continue to make them, despite saying, "This is not a job that can be taught"?
Masataka Tamura
Born in 1932 in Miyagi Prefecture. The sole successor of Sendai fishing rods, cherished even by Date Masamune. He taught himself rod-making from a young age by observing his father. As an elementary school student, he was called a "genius" by fishing enthusiasts. He now runs Saomasa Bamboo Rod Manufacturing. He handles all 200 processes himself, from selecting the bamboo to the final touches, and many enthusiasts from across Japan visit his workshop, "Saomasa."
(*Article content is based on information at the time of the interview)
#4 Saws, files, and even silverwork. Why I make everything myself
A craftsman who creates from his tools. An uncompromising origin.
──Did you make this saw yourself?
This one, about four or five days ago, it became dull so I polished it. I make tools like this myself, by firing them.
──You fire and hammer them?
Yes, that's right. A long time ago, I wanted to make blades, so I asked an old blacksmith named "Kasamatsu" to lend me his tools.
He told me, "You can't make blades," and "If you can make them well, I'll stand on my head."
So, the floor of a blacksmith's shop usually has metal scraps, right? I swept the floor clean with a broom so he could stand on his head.
Then the blacksmith asked, "What are you doing?" and I replied, "Preparing for your handstand." He got angry and said, "Don't be a fool, you rascal."
In the end, I really did manage to make blades, 55 of them. I'm still using them today.
This is called a "Tamegi." It's a tool for straightening bent bamboo so naturally that you can't tell where it was corrected.
Among the tools for making Sendai rods, this is the most important.
You heat the bamboo with fire to soften it, then use this Tamegi to hold it down and remove the bend. I've been using this tool since I was about 15 or 16.
──You have many of them. What are the differences between them?
The angles are subtly different. I use them depending on how much the bamboo is bent.
Some of these, I've been using since I was in second grade. Look at this angle. It's perfect.
──And the silverwork too, by yourself?
I make everything myself, you see. Even the silverwork.
Since I'm a fisherman myself, I understand usability. I always think about how to make it compact and functional when I'm crafting.
──This fountain pen, too?
This, you see, I'm applying the rod-making technique of layering many pieces of bamboo to make fountain pens. From platinum to pure gold, they're all handmade.
──Why do you make everything yourself?
Well, my father's friends were all masters, so being able to learn from them was a big part of it.
My mother passed away early, so I was always around my father. That's where I gradually learned the trade, figuring out "if you do this, this happens" on my own.
If two people were to do this, such good work would never be possible. You can't make good things without studying yourself, because you're doing things by intuition where you can't see.
#5 The Philosophy of the Sendai Rod: Not Fighting Fish
The "Choshi" (flex) that reassures, lets fish swim, and converses with them.
──I heard you are also a master fisherman yourself, Mr. Tamura.
Yes. Above all, I want to make fishermen happy.
If I just hand over a rod with a "thank you" and then sell it without further thought, I wouldn't know if the customer was truly satisfied.
You see, in kendo or judo, you won't become strong unless you apprentice under a strong person. It's the same with fishing.
──Do you always go fishing with customers who buy your rods?
Yes, that's right. When I sell a rod, I always go fishing with the customer who bought it.
There, I also teach them how to fish. The technique to catch big fish even with a thin, easily broken line. Pulling forcefully with a strong line is the American way, you see.
──It's a fishing method that "doesn't fight the fish."
Exactly. You have to reassure the fish and pull it when it stops, otherwise, it will thrash around.
Simply put, if the fish swims 10 centimeters, I apply just 1 millimeter of force. That's how you gradually tire the fish out.
Then, when the fish gets tired and stops swimming, I prompt it to swim again, saying, "Go on, swim!"
By doing that, when it gets close to the shore, the fish stops moving completely. Then I grab it and pull it in.
──I heard that with your rod, you can even tell the type of fish.
Yes, because it's a rod where you can feel the fish biting the bait before the float even twitches.
When ordinary people watch on TV, they don't know what's caught until the rod is pulled up, right?
But with this rod, just by the feel of the pull, I can tell everything: "This is a goby," "This is a flounder," "This is a noble fish (mullet)."
──In a way, it's like having a conversation with the fish.
Exactly. It's a rod that you use while conversing with the fish.
A rod like this, you might even forget where you put it (laughs). No matter whose rod shop it is, if there's a craftsman who can make a fishing rod like this, I'd really love to see it.
──How big of a fish can you catch with your rods, Mr. Tamura?
Once, in the Shiroishi River, I caught a large ayu. If you lined up three of them on a 1-shaku (about 30 cm) round plate, a fourth one wouldn't fit. It was that big.
How to calm such a big catch and reel it in? I've never actually fished with all my might.
I research that fishing method myself, and then teach it to my customers.
#6 Not a job that can be taught
The last successor of Sendai rods. The loneliness and pride of preserving a culture.
──You are the last craftsman making Sendai rods. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Well, you know, a trade that requires this much thought can't be taught to others. I think it's even a pity for those who try to learn it.
It's like, if someone has assets and can say they "have a bank behind them," then maybe it's fine, but I don't think an ordinary person can imitate what I do.
Anyway, once I start a job, I keep at it until it's finished. One step, two steps, three steps... and so on.
──How long do customers typically have to wait after placing an order?
About a year, usually.
But sometimes, after about seven months, people who've been waiting a year start asking things like, "Are fishing rods really that difficult to make?" or "Isn't it done yet?"
Some might get discouraged from the start and say, "If it takes that long, I don't need it," but so far, not a single person has done that.
When you take your time to make a rod like this, you become reluctant to part with the finished product. I still feel that every time I see one.
Especially now that I'm older, making fishing rods is difficult.
──I heard that when you were busy, you sometimes worked without sleeping.
Yes, yes, yes. At most, I've worked for three days without sleep. I'd sleep for just five minutes, or doze off a little in the middle of work.
If I step away from my work, I can't do good work, you know.
At the time, my wife's father told me, "Ma-chan, you'll ruin your health. I'll help you." But anything someone else did, I'd have to fix myself anyway. It's the same thing in the end, right? (laughs)
──Please tell me about your future plans.
Well, my intuition isn't as sharp as it used to be, so I don't make complex rods anymore.
That's why I occasionally sell the rods I have here, one by one. Some people understand the value of the rods, and some even buy three at once.
──Finally, do you still enjoy making rods?
Above all, it's a joy.
