This is where KEYSTONE egi begin — traditional yet innovative.

A craftsman's beginning

KEYSTONE was founded on November 1, 1999, as a maker of egi (squid jigs) and sutte. Our founder, the late Genzo Kanagawa (passed away January 2020), was a self-made craftsman of the Showa era who quietly supported the very foundations of modern eging from the manufacturing floor. He carved, by his own hand, the original forms of what became the MonroEgi and the Haifukugata from solid blocks of wood. Seeking to surpass the classic "Oita-type," he then hand-carved EgiSharp — and the body that evolved directly from it became Daybreak, released in October 2023.

Self-reliant making, 100% made in Japan

For 25 years, in Arita — a town famous for over 400 years of porcelain — KEYSTONE has held to two principles: self-reliant making and "made in Japan (Arita)." From product design to molds, jigs, catalogs and even this website, we build as much as we can with our own hands. Our founder's deep expertise spanned mechanical and electronic engineering, control systems, coating, sculpture, materials physics, 3D CAD/CAM and mold machining — and his work in egi making earned national recognition. In 2018, our staff member Morihisa Tashiro (now Head of Development) received a Japanese Minister of Education award for scientific ingenuity in egi manufacturing.

Tools for anglers — and for professional fishermen

Many imagine squid are caught by automatic machines. In reality, swordtip squid and bigfin reef squid are landed one by one, by hand, by the fishermen themselves — using the very same egi and sutte that everyday anglers use. That is why KEYSTONE develops in close partnership with top professional fishermen, treating our products as serious fishing gear. It is the joy of the sport, too: reading the situation, changing color and size, and outwitting nature on the open sea.

Jigs that move exactly as imagined

Like top athletes who sense their own bodies down to the fingertips, legendary squid fishermen demand jigs they can control "exactly as imagined" — even under the pressure of 200 meters of water. KEYSTONE researches, develops and manufactures egi and sutte that move as intended across every situation.

"with SQUID." — a way of life

Technology and innovation alone may not make people happy. So why not spend unhurried time on the sea, squid fishing, in touch with nature — feeling the life of squid and fish with your own hands, and receiving that life with gratitude? Under the keyword "with SQUID." KEYSTONE hopes to offer a new way of life through squid fishing.

This is a condensed English version of our philosophy page. The full Japanese story, including our founder's history and each development milestone, is available on the Japanese page.