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Kept you waiting (too long)! “Vulcanized Fiber Fishing Hooks” (2)

Do you remember this article (“Fishing with Paper?! New Project ‘Vulcanized Fiber Fishing Hooks’ (1)”)? The one that was posted on July 14th last year.

To those who have been wondering why the second installment has never been posted, thinking perhaps the author has forgotten about it—you’re not entirely wrong. However, after more than a year, this project has received a new and significant shock.

The story suddenly

It happened to be on a day I was off. (Typically bad timing) A call came through to Tokyo Paper Products. An unknown number. Another recruitment pitch? Ms. Sato, answering the phone, picked up the receiver with a half-exasperated expression.

Sato: “Hello, this is Tokyo Shiki.”

??: “Thank you for your time. My name is Tsuchiya from the Japan Bass Pro Association…”

Sato: “The Japan Bass Pro Association!? What can I do for you?”

It turns out that the call was made after they had seen the first article about the fishing hooks. They were in search of environmentally friendly fishing hooks due to an interest in SDGs and were greatly intrigued by the article on paper-made hooks. Since I was absent, Toshiya Yamada, the president, took the initiative to listen to their story.

Toshiya Yamada: “This is Toshiya Yamada from Tokyo Shiki.”

Tsuchiya-san: “Actually, we were very interested in your company’s paper-made fishing hook prototypes. Our association’s president, in particular, is intrigued and would like to discuss it further with you.”

Toshiya Yamada: “And what exactly would you like to discuss?”

Tsuchiya-san: “Firstly, we’d like to have a direct conversation, so would it be possible for you to come to our office in Kawaguchiko?”

And so, they head towards Lake Kawaguchi

The following week. They head to Lake Kawaguchi in the morning. Without any traffic jams, they arrive at the site in about two hours. It was a beautiful day with clear weather, and Mt. Fuji looked stunning.

During this season, the autumn leaves by the lakeside are also beautiful.

And then, to the meeting

As they hesitated on which building to approach among several, a voice called out from one of them.

Impressed by the automatic slipper sterilization device at the entrance of the building, they entered.

Inside the building, fishing gear was packed tightly, giving it the atmosphere of a headquarters for fishing associations. A table was in the center, where President Yamashita and Mr. Tsuchiya were waiting. After quickly exchanging business cards and greetings, they began the meeting.

President Yamashita: “Thank you for making the effort to come all this way today. The reason you’re here is none other than that. It’s been over 40 years since I single-handedly founded the fishing association, and from the old days, I’ve always focused on environmental issues. We’ve emphasized using environmentally friendly tools, including the Eco Tackle system. Recently, we’ve also been considering various initiatives with SDGs in mind, and just as we were in the midst of surveys and such, we heard about paper-made fishing hooks. It seemed unusual, so I thought we should listen to what it’s all about.”

And then, I will explain the current situation of fishing hooks.

As a result, the discussion for the day concluded with the decision to prototype larger hooks and send them out promptly. Since we had confirmed the approximate size, we would proceed with prototyping based on that information and send them out right away.

If we could have them tested by a specialized association, there would be no more reliable test, so we are also looking forward to the results.

The challenge continues

Ideas sometimes trigger chain reactions. We, too, want to continue creating new things by constantly receiving stimulation.

This was the closing line of the previous article, but it seems like exactly that kind of chemical reaction is happening this time.

“Fishing with Paper”

At first glance, it might seem like a puzzling word, but it’s gradually becoming more concrete. We definitely want to shape this seemingly absurd challenge.

So, to everyone at the Japan Bass Pro Association, we look forward to your continued support!

山田俊英
yamada-toshihide