I have the 27SR and love the way it casts and fishes. I have owned one TUSA rod and have spent some time casting their 11' and 12' Iwana (the Ito as well, but that would be an apples/oranges comparison due to its size). I have also been fortunate to cast a few other Diawa rods, some with cork handles and some without. I want to be cautious about painting with too broad a brush, but IMO as someone new to tenkara but with some years experience as a "western" fly fisher, the Daiwa rods (and my Shimano LLS36) have a kind of precision that I noticed the TUSA rods lacked (I would use the word "crispness" but for us western fly fishers that often implies "fast" - the Daiwa and Shimano rods can be bendy but still "precise.") I have only cast or fished four TUSA rods, and I have never cast a Nissin or Sakura rod, but the Japanese-designed rods I have limited experience with did seem to have this quality. It would be informative to hear from others who haven't posted yet and who have more experience with a wider range of rods.