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