This is the first part of the 2013 buying trip, covering the purchase of koi in and around Ojiya. Follow the trip here or get the feed on facebook by adding "causewaykoi". You can contact us if there's anything special you would like brought home.
Wednesday 13th February.
Well, it feels good to be back! The trip doesn't feel as long as it used to and I've arrived feeling fresh as a daisy. Settled in to the hotel and got a nice view out over the front door. A lot of the snow has melted away so it will be easy enough to get around.
As usual, first dinner is in the Yakiniku restaurant out the front of the hotel.
Thursday 14th February.
It was a beautiful day today as you can see from these pics taken up at Hosokai fish farm.
Here are 3 boxes of nissai I selected from Hosokai.
After fish selection Hosokai took us to a Soba noodle restaurant - my first time at this lovely place.
After lunch we sorted out some of the tosai and then headed over to Shinoda. There weren't many nissai doitsu left, but I picked up this box of koi.
Friday 15th February.
Right up to Yamakoshi this morning. Took a few pictures outside Yagenji and by the time we came out it was snowing quite heavily. This is a good one of a snowblower at work.
Here are the Yagenji tosai.
Next we visited Kanno where there were no 2yrs old fish left for sale, but I bought a selection of Goshiki and Go-sanke tosai.The 2nd pic is of some of the bigger fish in his koi house.
We also visited Maruju before lunch - at the ramen noodle bar.
After lunch we called at Marusho - you need good balance in these koi houses!
Next was Miyatora. I bought a box of tosai from this pond.
And I think you'll like these koi - really cracking good nissai - all about 45-50cm.
A cold start this morning after the snow last night, but the roads were clear enough and we started at Marusei. I've got a few pics of nissai today, but a lot of work was done on arranging tosai orders.
Here are some pics of Marusei koi. The first pic is of cheaper and smaller nissai (about 28-35cm). The second pic is much bigger GR Kigoi and Yamabuki (about 45-48cm)
With the man himself.
Took a few more scenery pictures while waiting for Yamazaki san. Picked out these two for you.
Picked up these koi - not too expensive and some a little different.
Called with Sakai Matsunosuke for green tea & snacks and ordered High Quality tosai.
Sunday 17th February.
With all the buying over, today was a chance to spend some time with friends. Tadashi Hosokai, who came to our Open Day in 2010, has left the koi farm to his older brother and is serving his time learning arts associated with Japanese culture. He was so glad we were able to come and see him on his day off. The journey would have been impossible in Ireland after last night's snow, but it's fine for Japan!
I hadn't seen his daughter since 2011. Now she is nissai! A wee beauty. ;)
Kids everywhere love playing with water - not every kid plays with a pond full of 1m + very valuable nishikigoi!!
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