(If you have an interesting or informative Koi related story or account and would like to submit it, please contact Carole)
Allan’s Journal of his trip to Japan in the company of Shirley & Geoff. Day 1: After an uneventful flight we arrived at Narita airport at 10.05am. Great excitement!! We then rushed down two floors to catch the Narita Express to Tokyo Central railway station, this trip took one hour. We took the escalator for three floors, fought our way through the main concourse to the platform to catch the Shinkasen (Bullet Train) to Nagaoka, a one hour fifty minute journey at speeds of up to 200mph, fifty per cent of which was in tunnels. Our hotel was 200 yds from the station. After booking in and dumping luggage we were picked up by Fujio Oomo who was to be our benefactor on this trip. At 3pm a flying visit to NND for look around (serious stuff in the days to come), from there to Nogami’s facility to make an appointment for later in the week. The evening meal was at Namole’s Famous Food Bar.  Day 2: Breakfast was at 7am in the hotel dining room, fabulous choice of food. Morning at NND bowling top tategoi, sanke’s and showa’s for Geoff to photograph for prospective customers. We had lunch at restaurant with Fujio and Makoto, not totally traditional but as near as we wanted to get. The three of us bought fish in the afternoon at NND. Next stop was Murusyo Koi Farm owned by Makoto Tanaka, we were entertained in his home with coffee, fruit and biscuits. In the mountains snow was falling again. On the way back to the hotel a quick visit to Kaneko Koi Farm. Our evening meal was at Baden Baden.  Day 3: As yesterday up at 7am, breakfast and then back to Marusyo Koi Farm where several fish were purchased by the three of us. Lunch was at the Noodle Bar (have you ever tried eating noodle soup with chopsticks?). The afternoon was spent touring different koi farms to check out the stock, these included, Yagenji, Tanaka (we saw his amazing bulls), Shinoda (another bull), Yazoimon (the Goshiki man), Ishihara and Torazo before returning to the hotel. Our evening meal was at the restaurant known as ‘the shouting chefs’.   I Day 4: After breakfast onto NND, and then to Oomo Koi Farm for a brief stop before we all made our way to a breeders koi auction. This involved forty two vats of high quality koi and 4 ½ hours of frantic bidding. Highest bid of the day 1.4 million yen (a lot of dosh) needless to say this wasn’t our bid. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at Kaneko Koi Farm where Shirley and I both purchased fish. Our evening meal was at Namole’s.  Day 5: Another morning at NND, netting and buying fish (I could really get used to this life). After lunch we crossed the Shinano River to visit Kase Koi Farm. Looking down the valley from here all we could see was steam coming off the snow in the sunshine. We then visited Ojia and went to the Koi Museum (very interesting) and into one of the big hypermarkets (an oversized Tesco), before crossing the river again and returning to our hotel. Our evening meal tonight was at Baden Baden.  Day 6: All day at Nogami Koi Farm, watching Nogami san netting, sorting and sexing two ponds of tategoi, some of which were purchased by us. A third pond containing just male koi was also netted and further purchases were made. Lunch was at a working man’s café called Abori, locally known as ‘the curry rice’. We shared the café with several of the local koi breeders, this being their local. We were invited into Nogami san’s home for tea and nibbles at the end of the day while all the paperwork was done for our purchases. His house had been badly damaged in the earthquake of 2004 and the repairs cost over £100,000. The evening meal was at Namole’s.    Day 7: It was our last chance to purchase koi (money burning hole in pockets). Back to Oomo’s Koi Farm, between us we purchased shusui (bred by Kobayashi), and a mix of ginrin’s. From here we went to Isamia’s Koi Farm (the ogon man) where two superb yamabuki ogon were purchased. Time for lunch, would you believe, at Kentucky Fried Chicken. The afternoon was spent driving in the mountains and visiting other koi farms, including Dianichi, Shintaro and the best koi of the whole week in the smallest fish house we had seen at Ikarashi Koi Farm. One mountain road was still impassable with snow. Back to NND to square up for the weeks purchases, one last dip for Geoff. I had of course overspent, but what the hell. Namole’s again for our last supper.
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