Kishu Herazao are bamboo fishing rods for herabuna (crucian carp) fishing, made in Hashimoto City and Kudoyama Town, Wakayama Prefecture. Herabuna is a freshwater fish that is highly popular as a target for anglers, and Kishu Herazao developed as tools for this style of fishing. Three kinds of natural bamboo, madake, koyadake and yadake, are used for different parts and joined together to make a single rod. Broken down in detail, there are as many as about 130 steps, and a craftsperson called a rod maker (saoshi) carries out almost all of them alone, by hand. It takes about six months to a year to complete one rod. The craft carries on a lineage of rod making that began in Osaka in the Meiji era, and the production area was born when a rod maker moved their base to Hashimoto in the early Showa period. With a history of more than 130 years, it is said to account for about 90% of the country's bamboo herabuna rods. In 2013 (Heisei 25), Kishu Herazao were designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Origin
The roots of Kishu Herazao are said to lie with the rod maker '竿正', who began making rods in Osaka in the Meiji era. A rod maker in that lineage, '源竿師', moved the production base to Hashimoto in Ito District, the rod maker's hometown, in the early Showa period. This was the beginning of herabuna rod making in Hashimoto. Partly because the bamboo for the rods could be obtained at the foot of Mount Koya (Koyasan), a production area where rod makers gathered took shape around Hashimoto.
History
The production area grew as herabuna fishing spread, and at its peak from the 1960s to the 1980s about 150 rod makers belonged to the cooperative. The 紀州製竿組合 (Kishu rod makers' cooperative) also set up a fishing pond, 隠れ谷池, for testing and researching rods. In 2006 it opened '匠工房' to train successors, and in March 2013 Kishu Herazao were designated a national Traditional Craft. Meanwhile, the number of rod makers has declined, and in recent years it has been in the 30s.
Features
Kishu Herazao are characterized by combining three kinds of bamboo with different properties. Madake is used for the tip (hosaki), koyadake (suzutake) for the homochi section just below it, and yadake for the butt end. The rod maker handles everything alone, from drying the bamboo to fire straightening, lacquering and finishing the grip, and each rod bears its maker's rod signature name (saomei). With touches such as eggshell applied to the grip, the rods pursue not only functional beauty as fishing tools but also beauty as works of craft.
Techniques
Hiire (fire straightening)
The process of heating the bamboo over a fire to straighten its bends while tightening the bamboo. It is an important task that determines how the rod flexes, and it is finished through stages such as rough fire straightening (ara-hiire). At 匠工房 at Kii-Shimizu Station, you can try this fire straightening.
Tip shaving
The process of shaving bamboo to finish the tip, the very end of the rod, into a slender point. It is an especially delicate part of the rod, and it reveals the skill of the rod maker. At 匠工房 it is offered as a hands-on activity along with fire straightening.
Silk thread winding and lacquering
Silk thread is wound around the joints and other parts of the rod, and urushi lacquer is applied to finish them. Some rods by master makers incorporate lacquer art techniques, such as eggshell applied to the grip, giving them the beauty of works of craft even though they are tools for use.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Drying the raw bamboo
The bamboo for the rods is thoroughly dried. Drying is said to take about three years.
- 2
Kiji-gumi (selecting the sections)
From the dried bamboo, pieces to be used for the tip, the homochi section, the butt section and so on are selected, and the combination is decided.
- 3
Hiire (fire straightening)
The bamboo is heated over a fire to straighten its bends while tightening it.
- 4
Removing the nodes and shaping the joints
The nodes inside the bamboo are removed and the joints (komi) are shaved so that the sections fit firmly into one another.
- 5
Silk thread winding and lacquering
Silk thread is wound around the joints and other parts, and urushi lacquer is applied to finish them.
- 6
Fitting the joints and the grip
The joints are fitted to connect the rod, and a grip is attached at the butt end.
- 7
Tip shaving, dofuki and finishing
The tip is shaved and finished, 'dofuki', in which urushi lacquer is applied to the body of the rod and wiped off, is carried out, and the whole rod is finished.
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Artisans & Workshops
山上寛恭（竿銘「こま鳥」）
A rod maker in Hashimoto City. As the second generation, 山上寛恭 carries on the rod signature name 'こま鳥' of the father, 山上高司, who was regarded as a master. 山上寛恭 handles about 130 steps alone over about a year and is particular about design as well, for example applying eggshell to the grip. 山上寛恭 was certified as a certified traditional craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi) in 2018 and selected as a Wakayama Prefecture Meisho (Master Craftsperson) in fiscal 2020 (Reiwa 2).
紀州製竿組合
A cooperative of Kishu Herazao rod makers based in Hashimoto City. In 2006 it opened '匠工房' to train successors, and in 2021 it set up a workshop in the station building of Kii-Shimizu Station together with Nankai Electric Railway and Hashimoto City. The workshop's craftspeople also help with some station duties, such as cleaning the station.
How to Buy
- 紀州へら竿工房「匠工房」
- A workshop of the 紀州製竿組合 in the renovated station building of Kii-Shimizu Station on the Nankai Koya Line. It has a display and sales area where you can freely look at Kishu Herazao and buy a rod you like. Workshop tours are free. Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; closed on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays.
Hands-on Experiences
紀州へら竿工房「匠工房」
和歌山県橋本市清水（南海高野線 紀伊清水駅 駅舎内）
Of about 12 main steps, you can try 'hiire' (fire straightening) and 'tip shaving'. Fees start from about 2,000 yen (excluding tax) per one-hour session. Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8:30 to 16:30, with experiences from 9:00 to 16:00. You can also watch apprentice craftspeople at work.
隠れ谷池
和歌山県橋本市清水（紀伊清水駅から徒歩約10分）
A fishing pond known as a sacred place for herabuna fishing. It is a place for research on Kishu Herazao and is also open to the public, so you can try herabuna fishing. Visiting it together with 匠工房 lets you experience both rod making and fishing.
FAQ
Q. What kind of fishing are herazao (herabuna rods) used for?
A. They are rods for catching herabuna, a freshwater fish. They are mainly used for fishing with a rig that has two hooks. Kishu Herazao are bamboo rods that combine three kinds of bamboo, and they are popular with herabuna anglers across the country.
Q. How long does it take to make one rod?
A. Broken down in detail, there are about 130 steps, and a single rod maker carries out almost all of them by hand. For this reason, it takes about six months to a year to complete one rod.
Q. Can I try rod making?
A. At 匠工房 at Kii-Shimizu Station in Hashimoto City, you can try fire straightening and tip shaving. Fees start from 2,000 yen (excluding tax) for one hour, and workshop tours are free.