Japanese airguns?

[jirushi]

Hi,
After having bought my first Japanese airgun, a Sharp Innova Mk1, I'm eager to learn more about Japanese airguns.
Sharp airguns in particular, and the Innova even more .
There are so many questions.
Let me start by asking if there are any connoisseurs of Japanese airguns on here?
I believe that forum member Tantomurata has posted a few things on this topic, but I cannot reach him (inbox full) and I do not know if he is still active.
Another forum member has kindly shared his personal correspondence from the eighties with Mr Itoh (manager) and Mr Kensuke Chiba (President) of the Sharp company ("Tokyo Rifle Ltd").
Thank you very much to flattrajectory - the letters are a valuable piece of airgun history. I will share them on here with Peter's permission if people are interested.
But I haven't managed to find much more.
I will have to learn Japanese! And go to Japan!
Google Translate helps a bit, but I have not found a Japanese airgun forum or any other sources of information.
One of the things I would like to find out, is if the Innova came with a Japanese manual in Japan, and what the story of Mr Kensuke Chiba is. A photo of him, why he got into the airgun business, was Sharp successful in Japan, is there still a factory in Japan?
Anyway.
Thank you and kind regards,
Louis



This is someone visiting the Sharp factory in 2011.... Mysterious!



https://ameblo.jp/hiradama/entry-10936573172.html

[Geezer]

You’ve probably seen these but if not, they make interesting reading:


https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ova-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ory-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ace-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....miscellaneous/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....20x-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....e-group-photo/



https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ke-air-rifles/

There’s also, to my knowledge, the 1970s Howa 55 CO2 rifle, and generic BSA LJ copies from the first half of the C20th. And, apparently, an incredibly rare bolt-action military/pseudo-military trainer (mimicking an Arisaka) from the 1930s or WW2.

[Benelli B76]

I think Howa air rifles are really sort after by collectors, I have only seen a couple owned by bbs members. Very hard to find in U.K.

Baz

[AllanM]

I think Howa air rifles are really sort after by collectors, I have only seen a couple owned by bbs members. Very hard to find in U.K.

Baz

I know, I know! I've been looking for one for years -- just look at the one on Danny Garvin's vintage airgun site.

[I. J.]

All Sharp rifles.

[Geezer]

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/yell...s-t437372.html

Some more interesting pics here.

Apart from the Sharp pump-ups, of which the Innova is far the most common in the U.K., followed by the regular Ace, all these Japanese 70s and 80s pumpers and CO2 rifles seem really rare.

[jirushi]

You’ve probably seen these but if not, they make interesting reading:


https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ova-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ory-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ace-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....miscellaneous/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....20x-air-rifle/

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....e-group-photo/



https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....ke-air-rifles/

There’s also, to my knowledge, the 1970s Howa 55 CO2 rifle, and generic BSA LJ copies from the first half of the C20th. And, apparently, an incredibly rare bolt-action military/pseudo-military trainer (mimicking an Arisaka) from the 1930s or WW2.

Thank you very much Geezer. That's interesting.
I especially like the Sharp Miscellaneous page.
Will do some reading on Howa.
A few months ago a Dutch collector offered me his Taiyo Juki Deluxe.
I got the impression that it's very well designed and full of cool features, such as a power adjustment wheel and some Japanese artwork on the receiver.
I left it but who knows one day. Tom Gaylord wrote an article about the gun: https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2009/09/taiyo-juki/

[jirushi]

All Sharp rifles.

Impressive. Which one is your favourite?

[Geezer]

Thank you very much Geezer. That's interesting.
I especially like the Sharp Miscellaneous page.
Will do some reading on Howa.
A few months ago a Dutch collector offered me his Taiyo Juki Deluxe.
I got the impression that it's very well designed and full of cool features, such as a power adjustment wheel and some Japanese artwork on the receiver.
I left it but who knows one day. Tom Gaylord wrote an article about the gun: https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2009/09/taiyo-juki/

Missed that Tom G blog.

Really interesting. And really rare.

[b.b]

http://antac.mforos.com/1616462/8949...-sharp-innova/

[jirushi]

http://antac.mforos.com/1616462/8949...-sharp-innova/

Thank you. There is a translation of that Spanish article on this forum.
http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....f-Sharp-Innova

To be honest, it doesn't contain much info on the history of the Sharp Innova, or the Sharp Company. It's more about pumpers in Spain.
This passage is interesting though (I tweaked the translation a tad):

He told me that he knew Sharp since he was a child. Sharp air rifles came into Europe by an American soldier stationed in Timor, where the Japanese were selling them for pigeon air hunting, plentiful at those islands. Sharp's high energy and accuracy were perfect for shooting the birds on top of very tall palm trees…

Impressed by those air rifles this soldier took one with him back to Europe, and a few years later he decided to manufacture them in the USA.
I really do not know how they became an American-Japanese patent design. My friend´s one had its box and manual printed in Japanese characters.

Ahaaa. A Japanese manual!
But I do not think that Sharp airguns were ever made in the USA.

Re pigeon shooting: when you type in Sharp Innova on Youtube, you get lots of Asian hunting videos.
If he is reading, then may I ask the cult Youtube airgun reviewer "airgun uk" (I'm not being sarcastic ), to do a video on the Innova?
Would be great. Otherwise, I shall have to buy a garden statue and ask a friend to film me!
https://youtu.be/z5eYhtzYPtU

[I. J.]

Impressive. Which one is your favourite?

That has to be the Pan Target because of the trigger.

[1shot1kill]

Impressive. Which one is your favourite?

Whichever one was free! Wouldn't part wiv wind our beloved leader!😘
J.

[xbow]

If the Japanese made PCP’s would they be half the cost and twice as reliable as German ones like their cars?!

[Geezer]

Louis - this may be of interest:

http://www.airgunmagazine.co.uk/feat...ning-japanese/

And found a 1969 patent application:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3572310