Day 1 - Japan Trip November 2025
✈️ Arrival and first impressions
I’ve made it to Japan! I’m writing this from my hotel room at the end of a long journey — one that finished with a few hours of successful koi hunting.
It feels great to finally be here. After months of preparation, stepping back into Niigata brings a familiar sense of anticipation — that mix of jet lag, excitement, and creative energy that always hits on day one.
🎥 Watch the action
I’m joined on this trip by Woody from Koi In The UK over on Instagram who’s vlogging the entire adventure.
Catch today’s vlog on YouTube for a behind-the-scenes look at our journey so far:
👉 Watch Day 1 Vlog
🌄 The land that shapes koi
The picture above was taken from a resting spot high in the mountains. Terraces climb up the hillsides — ponds and rice fields that have fed generations. You can almost see the years layered into the land: each contour, each pond, each narrow path worn smooth by decades (and probably centuries) of work.
It’s not a loud or dramatic beauty, but one that’s been built slowly, in rhythm with the seasons. This landscape is especially familiar around Ojiya — the heart of koi farming in Niigata. Standing at that viewing point as a breeder myself, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of all the human effort these mountains have supported.
💫 Reflections on art and environment
The connection between this land and the koi is impossible to ignore. The same care that goes into shaping a field seems to flow into shaping the fish.
Niigata’s environment embodies koi farming as a form of art. Everything — the ponds, the terraces, the people — feels in harmony. You can sense that rhythm in the koi produced here and even in the ones we breed back at Byer Koi Farm in the UK.
Being here always reignites ideas. Even through the jet lag, I find myself thinking about how to carry a bit of Niigata’s calm and craftsmanship back home. That’s really what this trip is about — not just buying koi, but drawing inspiration from the source.
🐠 First koi hunting session
Despite the long travel day, we’ve already had a strong start — a few hours of koi hunting and some early successes. I’ve made good progress finding Nisai Kohakus.
Tomorrow we’re heading to Ozumi Ikarashi, where our most successful Goshiki female broodfish originated. I’m especially excited to see what Sansai Goshikis they might have available this time.
🌅 Looking ahead
It’s been a full day already, and the week ahead promises even more. Stay tuned for updates.
For now, it’s time for some much-needed sleep before another early start tomorrow.
