Fuji has been in business since 1938, but its work in the early days had nothing to do with fishing. It was a different time, and a very different Japan.
Prior to World War II, the company made dies and various products that were used in the printing industry. During wartime, its emphasis shifted to radar components for aircraft.
That market was eliminated upon the conclusion of the war, so Fuji again changed its focus. As part of the peace treaty that the country entered into, its high-tech companies were limited to manufacturing products for the recreation industry.
Fuji opted to focus on the burgeoning fishing market. It moved to the forefront in rod-guide innovation in the 1960s and has been there ever since.
