Fueled by a desire to get fit and out of the city, not to mention the prospect of a funky new wardrobe, Japanese women have been exploring the great outdoors in ever-increasing numbers. The running trend, followed by the yama (mountain) girl trend, have been a boon for vendors of outdoor/sports wear. But what about more sedentary girls who like the clothes but don’t fancy breaking a sweat? If the hype keeps up they might soon be a new less-active outdoor tribe to join.
Recently, Nikkei Trendy tipped fishing as the next big thing for women in 2011. In keeping with the pattern, the women of this nascent trend have been dubbed "tsuri jo" (fishing woman) or "tsuri garu" (fishing girl), though we’ve yet to hear about these phrases enter common parlance so marketers have their work cut out for them this year.
Cool gear, though, might hook them. The ransuka (running skirt) and yamasuka (mountain skirt) did wonders for popularizing running and mountain climbing. Will the tsurisuka be next? As far was we know, manufacturers aren't exactly targeting fisherwomen yet, fishing gear maker Daiwa Globe Ride has at least gone out of its way to make fishing cool. Last month, the brand teamed up with uber-hop fashion label A Bathing Ape to create a line of cutting-edge fishing gear under the label of A Fishing Ape, comprising camouflage-patterned fishing jackets and lures.