Hosting the 2nd Bass Fishing Tournament Kato City Cup 2026 in Lake Tojoko

The Ichiban Eight Group (Fishing Eight Co., Ltd.) held the '2nd Bass Fishing Tournament Kato City Cup 2026 in Lake Tojoko' on May 10, 2026, at Lake Tojoko in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture.

This tournament was conducted as a tripartite collaborative project between Kato City, Imakatsu Co., Ltd., and the Ichiban Eight Group. It is a regional revitalization project aimed at creating interaction, promoting tourism, and vitalizing the local economy through fishing.

Following the success of the inaugural tournament last year, the second event received applications exceeding the capacity, attracting attention as a new local event set in Lake Tojoko.

The tournament day was blessed with calm weather throughout, with 54 anglers from all over the country participating and 33 boats launching.

Participants ranged from teenagers to people in their 60s, with many family and couple entries. Many visitors came from outside the prefecture, making it an event expected to have positive effects on the local economy through spending on lodging, food, and tourism.

Furthermore, the event was covered by multiple media outlets, including the fishing magazine 'Basser,' Kobe Shimbun, and Kato City Cable Television, drawing attention as an initiative led by regional cooperation.

The tournament featured a team competition where participants were divided into four teams, each led by a popular professional angler.

Each team competed while receiving direct advice from professional anglers on how to approach Lake Tojoko and on lure selection. Interactions among participants were active, and the venue was lively throughout the day.

The competition followed rules based on the total length of the top 5 fish per team, utilizing a 'Digital Weighing System' via a dedicated application. Participants enjoyed the competition by registering their catches from their smartphones.

After the 8:00 AM start, catch reports arrived one after another, and the race for ranking was intense, with the excitement lasting until the 2:30 PM return time.

A special talk show was also held at the venue by Katsutaka Imae, Representative of Imakatsu Co., Ltd.

Valuable insights were shared with the attendees, including his bass fishing theories cultivated through years of competitive experience, behind-the-scenes stories of lure development, and perspectives on interacting with nature.

He also spoke on the importance of passing on fishing culture to the next generation, which many participants listened to intently.

The Fujikawa professional team won the championship at the award ceremony. The winning team was presented with local specialties 'Dennosuke Udon' from the Kato City Tourism Association and a luxury lure set from Imakatsu Co., Ltd.

Additionally, the 'Big Fish Award' for general participants was presented with the Kato City Special Award, a one-of-a-kind artwork by chainsaw artist Mr. Kidokoro.

By integrating local specialties and culture into the tournament, it was highly acclaimed as a new regional revitalization event that realizes 'Fishing + Tourism + Regional PR.'

Towards the end of the tournament, a raffle was held for two rods specially provided by Mr. Katsutaka Imae, bringing the excitement of the venue to its peak.

The closing ceremony was attended by Mr. Tadashi Iwane, Mayor of Kato City, and Mr. Hisayuki Fujii, a member of the House of Representatives and Secretary General of the Parliamentary League for Fishing.

Mayor Iwane stated, 'We want to leverage the wonderful regional resource that is Lake Tojoko to expand the visitor population and promote tourism through fishing.'

Mr. Fujii also gave a powerful message regarding the positive economic impact of fishing culture and the significance of collaborative efforts between government, enterprises, and the community.

This tournament was promoted as an integrated effort by government, business, and community to communicate the charm of regional resources and create visitor opportunities through sport fishing.