Shimano is the top Outdoor sports and also Japanese fishing manufacturer known for their high quality products.
Sakai , the birthplace of Shimano , has a long tradition of blacksmithing and has been known as a town of knives and guns since the 16th century.
In the Meiji era , it shifted its business to the production of bicycle parts and finished products, becoming the center of Japan’s bicycle industry. Shimano was founded by Shimano Shozaburo, a craftsman at a Sakai ironworks, when he was 28 years old. Shimano began producing freewheels in 1921 , and by 1939 , Shimano had become Japan’s largest freewheel manufacturer, boasting 200 machine tools and 200 employees. Subsequently, the company grew, boosted by the huge sports cycle boom that occurred in the United States and Europe in the late 1960s.
By 1965, the company established an office in the United States.
In 1970, Shimano entered the fishing tackle business. Factors in deciding to enter the business included contributing to people’s health, the fact that fishing is a leisure activity that can be enjoyed for a long time, and the ability to utilize Shimano’s existing technologies. The first thing that materialized was the manufacture of fishing reels. Utilizing the technology cultivated in the manufacture of bicycle parts, such as gears and body structures, the spinning reel DUX was released in 1971.
A legendary machine that laid the foundation for baitcasting reels. Having made a huge impact on the baitcasting reel market both domestically and internationally with the development of the “BB-1” and “BM” series, Shimano embarked on a new endeavor to become “Shimano of the World” in the fishing tackle field, just as it has done in its bicycle parts business. They sent engineers to the United States, the birthplace of bass fishing, to conduct field research for about a year. Based on the results of that research, they proceeded with technological development, and the “Bantam” was born. After its release, it became a popular series supported by a wide range of users, from beginners to advanced anglers, and exerted such influence on the industry that it was said “fishing tackle manufacturers all over the world are copying it,” and it rapidly raised Shimano’s reputation in the baitcasting reel market.
Thus, the Bantam was born, and it was released in the United States in 1978 and in Japan the following year, 1979, receiving a great response in both cases. The spool rotation and gear precision were comparable to those of a precision instrument, and the frame strength was also dramatically improved. The spool diameter was significantly reduced from 39mm in previous models to 35mm, making it smaller and lighter, and backlash, a problem unique to baitcasting reels, was also reduced. Furthermore, the gap between the body and spool was narrowed to prevent line entanglement, and the smooth curved shape relieved fatigue and pain in the hands of users who gripped the reel along with the rod. In terms of functionality, “gentleness” and “enjoyment” were thoroughly considered with the user in mind, and the silver body that emphasized the metallic feel was called the “Bantam Shape,” and it made an overwhelming “presence” at fishing spots and in stores.
After its release, it became a popular series supported by a wide range of users, from beginners to advanced anglers, and it even led to a switch from sea freight to air freight for transportation. Bantam, which significantly boosted Shimano’s reputation in the baitcasting reel market, subsequently expanded its product line and grew rapidly. Although it gradually ceased to play a strategic role from the late 1990s onward, its popularity among users remained strong, and it was revived in 2016 with the release of a new series.
Fishing rods have evolved in strength and functionality through the evolution of materials, from bamboo to glass fiber and then to polyester resin. In the late 1970s, lighter and stronger carbon fiber emerged. Shimano also focused on developing products using carbon fiber, and in 1978 released the carbon rod “Hiho” (Treasure). Changing the manufacturing method that had been mainstream until then, which used both carbon fiber and glass fiber, Shimano overcame the problem of breakage by combining carbon fiber and Kevlar fiber in a unique structure.
Because fishing tackle accounts for a large portion of the company’s consumer goods sales, it is generally perceived as a fishing tackle manufacturer. However, a significant portion of its sales are in the form of bicycle parts, which are sold to bicycle manufacturers.
But Shimano is a company about quality and they have delivered for decades for fishing and cycling!
As for the Shimano YouTube channel, the channel has been ongoing for over 12 years and have over 509,000 subscribers.
Their latest video is titled “Aya Nakamura’s Tokyo Bay Sea Bream Lure Fishing Strategy 2026 [Full Version]”. Check it out!
