I wouldn't be overly concerned with what is considered traditional. Throughout the history of tenkara, there have been advancements in the equipment used. If everyone on down the line had rigidly held to what was at the time traditional, we would all be fishing with bamboo rods and horsehair lines (not to say there's anything wrong with either one!). I see no reason whatsoever why the next advancement, whatever it is, could not come from the US rather than from Japan.