Japan Trip 2014.

Here you can see pictures of the koi currently being purchased in Japan for the 2014 season. 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

Saturday 22nd February

The trip is just about over! (Scroll to the bottom and work your way back up for the full trip) Most of today we will be travelling from Tokyo to home. It has been another very successful and enjoyable buying trip. The koi should be following us in about 3 weeks time and then will be quarantined for about 4 weeks before going on sale at Easter.

Friday 21st February

This morning we started by making our way over to the famous Hama-Rikyu gardens which had been the family garden of the Tokugawa Shogun. These are very beautiful gardens with much to see and learn.

In the Nakajima-no-ochaya (tea house) we had traditional green tea and Japanese confectionery.

Next we had a walk through the amazing grounds of the Zojoji Temple before visiting the Tokyo Tower before lunch.

After lunch we took a City Tour by bus through many of the main tourist attractions and learning much of the city's history. We stopped at Asakusa at the Sesoji Temple and Nakamise Street.

The main attraction of the trip was the new Tokyo Tower, the Skytree. With its main observatory deck at 350m, you have a fantastic view of the city of Tokyo.

Returning from the tour we had a quick turn around at the hotel before heading out to Roppongi for a very special dinner - Teppanyaki at the Grand Hyatt.

Thursday 20th February

Being the last day, and with no more fish to buy, we visited the Koi Museum, Nishikigoi-no-sato this morning. Also the Sun Plaza where they make and sell local produce - textiles, food & koi products.

After a good coffee in Starbucks at the station in Nagaoka we bid farewell to Rene for another year and made our way back to Tokyo on the shinkansen. All good things come to an end, but now it is time for us to become tourists!

This afternoon we visited Akihabara, the electric village, including a tour around the Big Apple Pachinko halls and a visit to the awesome Yodobashi Camera electrical products store. We also went over to Kanda to have a look around the Kanda Myogin shrine before returning to Akihabara for dinner. Steak and chips for me tonight!

Wednesday 19th February

We had a bit of business to do at Hosokai this morning so we went there first. Here you can see Masaru netting up a fine aka matsuba and the next picture gives you some idea of the size of the fish.

Here are a couple of fine 57cm Sanke.

This is a 40cm Tancho sanke from Hosokai.

Another visit to Izumiya followed so I could take pictures of a Tancho Sanke for a customer. Here are some pics from Izumiya.

After a fine feed of pork and rice in the mountains we made our way on up to Kanno to see his beautiful goshiki and go-sanke. There is so much snow up in Mushigame! I bought tosai there.

Next we went back to Marusei to pick up some smaller nissai having called at Kawakami only to find him sold out. These are the fish bought at Marusei. The first picture is with 33-42cm koi. The fish in the second pictures are 28-34cm.

We finished the day with a visit to Dainichi followed by coffee and cake. The visit to the mountains is almost over!

Had a super dinner tonight in the restaurant just opposite our hotel. This chicken was amazing!

Tuesday 18th February

Off to the hills early this morning with so much to see and do. Our first stop was the huge Marusei fish house. Have a look at some of the lovely fish I picked up at Marusei. They are approx 38-45cm.

After visiting Miyatora we stopped in at Choguru to secure tosai Purachina. The quality of Choguru's Purachina proved too irresistible and we have this happy picture to show as a result. A cracking 4yr old Ogon.

While waiting for Yamazaki san to come I took this nice scenery pic. There is plenty of snow!

Of course there is more to see than snow and mountains! Here are some of the Yamazaki koi. A big variation, from about 30-48cm.

We visited many other farms today including the amazing farms of Torazo and Izumiya. A few very nice koi were purchased at Aoki, including these which are available for sale.

We finished the day at Marusaka before returning to the hotel to tidy up business, freshen up and get ready for dinner. Tonight we went out to a fish restaurant with the Hosokai brothers. What an amazing feed - though there were a few things I ate tonight that I just didn't ask many questions about!

Monday 17th February

The road up to Yamakoshi was full of snow this morning but we made our way up the twists and turns to reach the birthplace of Nishikigoi.

There is always plenty to enjoy at Kazuto Ikarashi. As always, the koi were stunning. We bought a very nice Tancho here and a good selection of high quality year old fish

We visited Sakai Matsunosuke and bought tosai at Yagengi. After noodle soup for lunch we went back up to Hosokai. It usually takes quite a while to do the Hosokai visit and today there was good reason with the purchase of some very nice koi.

We did visit a few other farms, but the last picture for today is of some Doitsu Go-sanke and a gin-rin Showa purchased at Shinoda.

Sunday 16th February

The weather delayed our flight out of Dublin which left us having to sprint through Charles De Gaul airport in Paris. Although we made it to the plane on time, unfortunately our suitcases didn't.

Having sorted that out, we came out to find that the weather in Japan has been causing havoc and we were unable to book the shinkansen at the airport. The queues in Tokyo station were very long, but eventually we got our tickets and caught the bullet train up to Nagaoka.

We have since learned that the Expressway is closed due to the heavy snow. Our suitcases will be sent to the hotel in Tokyo so it means working without all the usual equipment while here in Ojiya. I apologise now for the quality of the photos as I don't have my good camera with the polarising lens.

Japan 2013 - Tokyo.

This is the touristy bit at the end of the 2013 Japan trip. If you want to see the koi bit, click on the 'Japan 2013 - Niigata' link.

Monday 18th February.
Caught the bullet train back to Tokyo and took the short trip by tube to the hotel. Got all sorted out and enjoyed a really nice American meal last night!
This morning the plan was to take myself off the usual tourist track and see what else I could find in Tokyo. The benefit of having a 4-day Flexible Pass for JREast means you can travel on the train as much as you want. I started at Akihabara and then on to Shibuya. It's a nice walk to the Meiji Jingu shrine, passing through two of Japan's tallest wooden Tori gates at 1mm high.

The shrine was built in 1920 and is quite large. The surrounding gardens are beautiful, even at this time of year, but must be amazing when the cherry are in blossom or the Iris beds are in full flower.

This is a lovely teahouse in the garden park and the next picture is of a shelter looking over the Iris gardens.

Next I took a walk around the Yoyogi Park, but the fountains weren't running and they were doing a lot of maintenance. The National Yoyogi stadium (below) is an impressive building, but as there wasn't much more to see I travelled on to Ueno.

The main shrine is the Toshogu Shrine, built in 1627, but unfortunately presently undergoing repairs. There are so many stone lanterns, one of which is one of the 3 largest in Japan.

Right next to it is a stunning display of dahlias (which I decided not to pay to go and see as I was able to have a peek over the wall). There is also this 5-storied pagoda - really nice!

Ueno Park is really big - even has a zoo in it - and has a large lake. One side of the lake is for boating and the other is for wildlife. In the middle is the Bentendo Temple.

This lovely waterfall is a feature along the lakeside walk.

A short walk out at the South side of the park and you will find Ameyoko market. The streets are crowded with stores selling clothes, general produce, fresh fish and dried food.

There is so much to see and do around Ueno, but I eventually made my way back up to the central boulevard of the park where there is a large Starbucks - great place to rest the weary legs, enjoy a coffee and read a book!

Before leaving Ueno I took myself right off the track up to the Ken-eiji Temple, a Buddhist temple originally built to defend the Edo Castle. It later became the Tokugawa family temple. Although closed, it was very interesting and well worth the visit.

So, a short trip back on the train to Akihabara, a quick visit to the hotel before going out for dinner with a friend and the 2013 trip draws to a close, already!
The final day sees me leaving the hotel at 8am. Tube to Tokyo station and Narita express to the airport. The flights all went well and I landed in Dublin at 5.30pm. My parents met me at the airport and by the time we collected the cases, got to the car park and got up the road it was time for a coffee and snack. We still got home to Portrush for 9pm so the journey from the hotel in Tokyo to home took just 22 hours - down to a fine art!

Japan Trip 2013. - Niigata.

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.

Saturday 16th February.
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!!