Company
The president’s column, twice a month · Latest issue (1 October 2026)
Who we are
KEYSTONE (KeyStone Corporation) is a maker of egi — traditional Japanese squid jigs — based in the town of Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan. Since our founding in 1999, we have specialized in original, 100% made-in-Japan egi and sutte, trusted by professional squid fishermen as well as anglers across the country.
Tradition meets innovation
Arita is a town famous for over 400 years of porcelain craftsmanship. In that same spirit of Japanese craftsmanship (Monozukuri), every KEYSTONE egi is shaped, tuned and finished by hand — one at a time. We cut our own molds, adjust our own jigs, and chase the smallest differences that change how a jig moves and how squid react.
Our products are developed hand in hand with working fishermen. Their feedback on the water drives our design, from tip-run and shore tip-run to deep-water and night squid fishing. That is what "traditional yet innovative" means to us.
Company profile
| Company name | KeyStone Corporation (株式会社キーストン) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Business | Manufacture and sale of egi (squid jigs), sutte, and related fishing tackle — made in Japan |
| Address | 2-27-6 Nakadaru, Arita-cho, Nishimatsuura-gun, Saga 844-0002, Japan |
| Phone | +81-955-41-1080 |
| Fax | +81-955-41-1077 |
| Online shop | keystone-ds.com (operated primarily in Japanese) |
History
| 2025.11 | 26th anniversary |
|---|---|
| 2025.10 | Official sponsor of CIAC2025 (Cephalopod International Advisory Council, held at OIST, Okinawa) |
| 2025.09 | JetChaser released |
| 2024.10 | 25th anniversary celebration held |
| 2024.09 | JetChaser announced |
| 2024.06 | NIBOSSY released |
| 2024.05 | Official website fully renewed |
| 2023.11 | 24th anniversary |
| 2020.01 | Genzo Kanagawa, founder and chairman, passed away |
| 2018.04 | Morihisa Tashiro (now Head of Development) received the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology — Sōi Kufū Kōrōsha Shō (award for creative ingenuity) |
| 2016.07 | Joint research with the University of the Ryukyus: “Development of a squid-shaped ROV (underwater drone)”. Selected for Saga Prefecture’s Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Technological Innovation Support Program (Basic Research and Development Grant) |
| 2013.03 | Jado Egi® released |
| 2012.04 | Direct shop opened |
| 2007.04 | EgiSharp released |
| 2005.04 | EgiOita PlaPla released |
| 2001.04 | LongEgi released |
| 2000.10 | Diving Board T-11 released |
| 2000.05 | MonroEgi released |
| 2000.04 | Haifukugata® released |
| 2000.03 | EgiOita released |
| 2000.01 | VivinSutte released |
| 1999.11 | Founded |
For inquiries in English, please contact us.
