Day 3 - Japan Trip November 2025
Day 3 – Japan Trip, November 2025
It’s a busy time of year for the breeders. They’re harvesting ponds while also welcoming us “customers”, which meant some long waits between visits today. We used one of those breaks to climb a nearby mountain and take in the beautiful scenery from a viewing platform — a refreshing start to what turned out to be a very full day.
Woody from Koi in the UK has joined me on this trip and is vlogging each day. His latest episode includes a great interview with my agent, Chris, who gives an overview of the local area — spanning tens of square miles — and points out various landmarks and koi farms.
🎥 Watch the vlog here: https://youtu.be/3dXIcy-jCMU?si=saZirOszlRAm1nuY
The steep climb certainly got the heart pumping, but the crisp mountain air was invigorating. By the time we got back to the car, I felt completely renewed and ready for what would be a packed schedule.
Yamamatsu Koi Farm
Our first stop was Yamamatsu, a farm renowned for continuing the Matsunosuke Sanke line — known for its slowly developing sumi, which takes several seasons to fully establish. I selected around twenty Nisai to bring back, focusing on skin quality, which Yamamatsu-san himself emphasised as the key trait to look for in this line.
While these koi will be available for sale, I understand that many customers prefer a more “finished” sumi pattern at the point of purchase. So I’ll also be keeping a few myself to study their development, enjoy their transformation, and hopefully be able to offer some for sale with a more mature sumi state over the next couple of years.
Yamamatsu san treated us to coffee , where we also talked about his background , some of the challenges of the big earthquakes 20 years ago , and how they manage business continuity should that ever occur again. I also shared some of our background , and we covered a number of koi industry topics. His views and approach , puts him firmly in the koi farmers as artists bracket. He loves his work. And proceeded to give us a tour of his facility and showed us some examples of koi to demonstrate how his koi develop. I love koi that transform , both as a breeder and also for my own enjoyment. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so keen on Showa in general , and our own MGS line. And so I am intrigued to find a breeder of sanke who appears to have a similar interest in what makes a good koi.
The phrase “this koi has great skin quality” is thrown around a lot, but in truth, genuinely outstanding skin is rare — especially at the lower end of the Nisai price range. That’s why I’m so excited about this batch from Yamamatsu. A few of these koi possess truly exceptional skin quality — the kind normally seen on fish at much higher price points.
If you’re keen to understand what excellent skin actually looks like — and perhaps to acquire a koi at an affordable price that demonstrates it — these Yamamatsu koi could be of real interest. When we look at them together, be prepared for me to start the conversation with: “Forget about the pattern — let’s focus solely on the skin.”
Most people find that difficult at first, and I completely understand. But if you’re looking for koi with top-class skin at accessible Nisai pricing, this is an opportunity not to miss.
Otsuka, Shinoda & A Change of Plans
Next up were Otsuka and Shinoda, both key visits for sourcing stock for customers. However, I left without buying — unable to find the right balance between quality and price.
At Shinoda, there was an interesting moment as we joined a “picking in turn” exercise with other dealers. While the system was clearly explained, it felt overly complicated, and frankly, the koi on offer didn’t justify the time it would have taken to wait our turn. So we decided to move on — a decision that turned out to be a masterstroke.
Koda Koi Farm – At Last!
We finally made it to Koda, a farm I’ve been trying to visit for the past three trips but, for one reason or another, never quite managed to. Koda are well known for producing a wide range of fascinating varieties, and we spent most of the afternoon there hand-picking koi to bring back to Byer Koi Farm.
The view from a stopping point very close to Koda Koi Farm.
We selected a broad mix of Nisai, offering plenty of choice across our usual price ranges. There were lots of Tanchos in various varieties, some standout Doitsu Goshiki, and a number of other non-Go-Sanke varieties — ideal for hobbyists with curious minds who enjoy diversity in their ponds.
I ended my buying spree at Koda with a dip into their Sansai pond, securing three special koi. One of them is a perfect fit to further our Doitsu Ochiba and Aragoke breeding programme. Combined with the Ginga-style Kogane from Ozumi earlier in the trip, this marks a big step forward in that area. If all goes well with spawning next year, expect some truly unique and exciting fry!
The other two Sansai will be heading to the shop — a striking Doitsu Showa and a Tancho Kujaku, both of which caught my eye immediately.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow is shipment day here in Niigata. We’ll be tracking the boxes from our early autumn harvest purchases as they’re loaded in Ojiya — beginning their journey to the UK and finally arriving at Byer Koi Farm.
