Day 3 - Japan Trip November 2025
Climbing mountains, exploring legendary farms, and finding koi with extraordinary skin
🌄 A morning in the mountains
It’s a busy time of year for the breeders. With ponds being harvested and visitors arriving daily, we often find ourselves waiting between farm visits. This morning, we used one of those breaks to climb a nearby mountain and take in the scenery from a viewing platform — a refreshing start to what turned out to be a packed day.
The climb got the heart pumping, but the crisp mountain air was invigorating. By the time we returned to the car, I felt renewed and ready for a full schedule ahead.
🎥 Watch the vlog
I’m joined on this trip by Woody from Koi in The UK over on Instagram who’s capturing the journey day by day.
Today’s episode includes a fantastic interview with my agent, Chris, who gives an overview of the region — covering tens of square miles and pointing out local landmarks and koi farms.
👉 Watch the Day 3 vlog
🐠 Yamamatsu Koi Farm
Our first stop was Yamamatsu, a farm famous for carrying on the Matsunosuke Sanke bloodline — renowned for sumi that develops slowly, often taking several seasons to fully express.
I selected around twenty Nisai, focusing on skin quality, which Yamamatsu-san himself emphasised as the defining trait of his line. While these koi will be available for sale, I know many customers prefer a “finished” sumi pattern at the point of purchase. So I’ll also be keeping a few myself to study their development and offer some for sale once their sumi has matured in the coming years.
Over coffee, Yamamatsu-san shared stories about his background — including challenges following the major earthquakes twenty years ago — and how they now plan for business continuity should such events happen again. We talked about koi breeding philosophies, and it became clear that his approach belongs firmly in the “koi as art” tradition.
He then gave us a tour of his facility, explaining how his koi transform over time. As a breeder, that concept really resonates with me. It’s one of the reasons I love Showa and our own MGS line — koi that evolve, that reveal more of themselves with each season. Finding a Sanke breeder who shares that passion felt like discovering a kindred spirit.
💎 The art of skin quality
The phrase “this koi has great skin” is used often, but genuinely top-tier skin quality is rare — especially in the more affordable Nisai price range. That’s why this Yamamatsu batch excites me so much.
A few of these koi show skin quality usually seen only at far higher price points. When you view them, you’ll probably hear me say, “Forget about the pattern — focus on the skin.”
That can be difficult at first, but for anyone who wants to understand what truly excellent skin looks like — and perhaps own an example at an accessible price — these Yamamatsu koi represent a special opportunity.
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.
