Part Three Tategoi from Marudo and Koi No Minuma

It was a very early start as we had alot to get through today , we would leave Niigata around 10am after my visit to Marudo , from there it would be a long drive to visit a very famous Goshiki breeder that is producing some amazing show winning Koi in Japan. We would then continue to Maruyama to check out some of Michel and Wilfried's Kohaku.

So I was back at Marudo to buy some Koi to leave with him , with the success of the event during the show weekend i had decided to buy a few tategoi and leave until harvest giving me something to look forward to. I had asked Marudo to prepare two Vats one with Sanke and the other Kohaku and had given him my price range. This was very exciting , the Breeder choosing Koi for me and then growing them ,so not too much pressure on him!. After seeing what was available i was very pleased to be leaving these five Koi with him.

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The quality of the Sanke is superb , the sumi is ink black and well placed throughout the body , the beni on all three Koi is even throughout and all with excellent bodies , I was very happy with the Sanke and the Two Kohaku were also of a very high level, it is always appreciated when a breeder allows you to buy some very high quality tategoi.These Koi are all priced at £1795 and expected size at Harvest will be 50cm to 55cm, If there are any issues with the Koi at Harvest there will be a replacement by Marudo. This is a fantastic offer and i am pretty sure i will be bringing back some stunning Female Nisai over 50cm later this year.

It was now time to visit Koi No Minuma a very famous Goshiki breeder. I have been asked many times to bring back some Goshiki but it has been difficult getting the high level I always look for at the right price. I have said many times its easy to buy Koi but to buy High Quality Koi is a challenge .I have managed to do this with many Gosanke breeders and you will always see me at the same farms year in year out , i like to keep the number of breeders to a minimum and if they are looking after me there is no need to go anywhere else.

During my time in Niigata while i was selecting my Koi , Michel , Maria and Wilfried had many meeting with breeders discussing future business for Koi ichi Ban and Koi Ichi Ban Europe, Michel's contacts in Japan and relationships has been built up for over 30 years and his knowledge and guidence has enabled me over many years to bring back the highest level of Koi i can that suits the UK hobbyists budget.

Buying power in Japan is often mentioned to me from hobbyists asking if other foreign markets are buying all the best Koi , are they buying so many more Koi than we do in the UK and is the Asian Market increasing the price of koi as sometimes prices seem to be ever increasing. I have never mentioned much about this as I have not seen much change in the price of Koi I buy over the last ten years , the change is more with the hobbyists "eye" for Koi , the demand for High quality is getting more and more. hobbyists are buying less Koi than before as their skills at keeping Koi is improving and they are much more knowledgable in making their selections , it doesnt matter what budget you have for Koi if you have knowledge and good keeping skills you can achieve superb results. As a dealer I want to bring back the best Koi with very high potential at a price that suits the UK market , you will have seen in these blogs koi that have developed to a very high level that are not always the most expensive i sell. I take alot of guidence from people with greater knowledge that is the only way to learn , your dealer is the closest person you have to a breeder so always ask advice and for them to show you how the Koi they sell develop , this will give you assurances for your next purchase.  So i am under no illusion that my buying power is limited at some farms as sometimes only one box is purchased, all i can offer to the breeders is loyalty and regular visits and build up the kind of business relationships i have over the years that gets me access to the Koi i need to be bringing back to the UK....... Oh it always helps when Michel and Wilfried last export for Koi Ichi Ban Europe was over 400 boxes  !!!

We arrived at Koi No Minuma before lunch so there was plenty of time to check out the farm , I was very interested to see the level of Tosai Goshiki available and see some of his larger Koi. The video below shows the quality of his Goshiki and this level is exactly what i would be buying in the future. So I chose one Koi to be left until Harvest a very high quality Female with a super pattern.

When booking this trip I did not know about this visit so it was a bonus to spend time discussing the Goshiki i need in the future and i really hope that I can bring back Koi of the quality i saw today as i know Goshiki are not easy koi to find in the UK. After lunch with the Breeder we set off to Maruyama Koi Farm and hoped to arrive at about 4.30pm.

Maruyama

Checking over their Azukari Koi , and this Kohaku was absolutely stunning !

Another Superb Kohaku this one gosai and over 80cm . The quality is very simple to see and has a superb body frame to grow even bigger. I have always liked Maruyama Kohaku and at this years Harvest he will be one of the first breeders i visit. 

Tomorrow would be my last day in Japan at the Isawa Nishikigoi Centre.