Koi Carp from Koi Water Garden, ,

This page contains bowl pictures of many, but not all of the Koi purchased on our buying trips to Japan.. If you are interested in any our new Koi please email us at reserve@koicarp.org.uk and we will confirm costs and availability. Please remember its 1st come 1st serve!

Unless otherwise indicated all Koi advertised on this page will be available for sale. We will try to update each picture with those Koi reserved to keep the page as up to date as possible. All major credit cards accepted! - see what's new for details .

It can easily take us three weeks or so after we return from a buying trip before we start to photograph and post individual Koi pictures on our web site as we allow the Koi to settle in and de-stress before attempting to get good pictures. This can be frustrating for non-local customers, who cannot easily visit us, and who patiently wait for pictures to appear only to find that the Koi they were interested in has been sold before the pictures appear. So on this page, you can get a good preview of most of the Koi we are choosing and buying before we get home, and certainly way before the better quality individual pictures start appearing.

We are back from Japan and our first new Koi shipment arrives on the 11th November, and the 2nd shipment on the 13th November.

Torazos Koi house	Returning from a mud pond with newly harvested Koi at Oofuchi in Niigata	Oofuchi Mud pond ready for harvest
So here we are again ! After the normal hectic and long Journey from London to Niigata, we arrived at our hotel in Nagaoka mid afternoon Thursday, dropped off our bags and headed straight off to see some Koi. Firstly we dropped in to Marudoh, who has not yet harvested many Nisai or Sansai. So we had a quick look round and then visited Shinoda. Again this year his Doitsu Showa are really super so quickly purchased some stonkers. Also bought the beautiful Doitsu Sanke and Gin Rin Showa Sansai females you see below. The bad news is that his fantastic female Gin Rin Showa champion brood fish has died, so there are no Nisai Gin Rin Showa this year - he has kept a number of the offspring of the famous champion and is now breeding from some of these and has good Tosai from this years harvest so we look forward to seeing those as Nisai next year. We will revisit him later on this trip when he harvests more.
Box 1: Doitsu Showa and Sanke (Nisai) Video clip Price guide �225 - �295	Box 2: Doitsu Sanke, Gin Rin Showa (Sansai) Video clip Price guide �895	Box 3: Beni Kumonryu, Gin Rin Benegoi, Goshiki, Kujaku, Tancho Showa (Nisai) Price guide �95 -�125
Please quote box numbers when referring to Koi - note that price guides are issued based on current exchange rates and shipping costs - prices may vary with exchange rates and freight costs once the Koi are landed.
Box 4: Aka Matsuba Female (Sansai) Price guide �795	Box 5: Video Clip Beni Kumonryu, Kujaku (Sansai) Price guide �495	Oofuchi's brand new monster fish house
Day 2, our first full day, visited Torazo, Otsuke, Kawakami, Oofuchi, Hiroi - Quality this year is again very good and there are always the unexpected 'wow' factors - as with Hiroi this year who's Doitsu Showa and Sanke are outstanding. Goshiki also superb as usual. The Aka Matsuba Sansai we purchased ranks very highly as among the best of the type we have seen - fabulous reticulation, and the Doitsu Lemon Hariwake from the breeders we affectionately call the Niigata hillbillies are as good as ever. We will be back at Hiroi probably tomorrow as he is harvesting again. Again and like Shinoda there are varieties missing from Hirois portfolio this year as he has lost parents of Doitsu Ochibe and Gin Rin Showa so these were in short supply at his farm. Apologies that some of the pictures are not as sharp as they should be - but we are really trying not to use flash which can distort the colours !
Box 6: Video Clip Ochibe, Ki Utsuri, Goshiki, Aka Matsuba (Nisai) Price guide �395	Box 7: Video Clip Goshiki (2), Kigoi, Ki Utsuri (Nisai) Price guide �395	Box 8: Video Clip Doitsu Lemon Hariwake (Sansai) Price guide �595

Box 9: Video Clip Kumonryu, Doitsu Lemon Hariwake (Sansai) Price guide Kumonryu �1295 - Lemon Hariwake �895	Box 10: Red style Kujaku (Sansai) Price guide �695	Box 11: Video Clip Doitsu Showa, Doitsu Sanke (Nisai) Price guide �595
2nd Full day, visited Masaki, Yamezaki, Yagengi and Shinoda again. Asagi and Shiros from Masaki were as usual super quality - also bought some very high grade Tosai here as he had some Tategoi on display that he had just netted out and was grading when we arrived - after some persuasion and a bottle or two of Scotch he was persuaded to sell some - but we were only allowed a dozen. Also bought a gorgeous 3 year old female Shusui with Hi (red) colouration and unusual pattern and which is as red as a traffic light . Yamezaki had some stonking Koi this year - he has built yet another new fish house and now has much more space and hence more stocks on display. 2 and 3 year old Lemon Hariwake were purchased, as well as mixed varieties such as Kujaku and Matsubas. He also bought 3 year old Budo Goromo and Gin Rin Hi Utsuri. Will be returning later when he harvests again for Nisai.
Box 12: Video Clip Doitsu Sanke, Doitsu Showa (Nisai) Price guide �595	Box 13: Asagi, Shiro Utsuri, Kumonryu, Doitsu Kujaku, Hi Utsuri (Nisai) Price guide �150 to �175	Box 14: Video Clip Hanna Shusui (Sansai) Price guide �895
Then on to Yagenji who is a specialist for Kikasui, Shiro Utsuri and this year also had bred Doitsu Goshiki. We arrived fairly late in the day and the light there is not good so only had time to purchase one box before we had to leave. Whilst we were there, got a phone call from Shinoda who had just harvested more Doitsu Nisai - this time Sanke and Kohaku - so we then went back to Shinoda. Spent the next two hours going through the new Shinoda harvest and bought two boxes of Doitsu Kohaku and Sanke - truly excellent quality and very good prices. Every one in the party bought here and Shinoda was a happy man!
Box 15: Video Clip Goshiki, Kujaku, Hanna Shusui (Sansai) Price guide �395	Box 16: Kin Matsuba Ogon, Kujaku, Hi Utsuri, Ochibe (Nisai) Price guide �150	Box 17: Doitsu Lemon Hariwake (Nisai) Price guide �150

Box 18: Gin Rin Purachina, Gin Rin Chagoi Price guide �150	Box 19: Video Clip Doitsu Lemon Hariwake (Sansai) Price guide �595	Box 20: Video Clip Budo Goromo, Gin Rin Hi Utsuri (Sansai) Price guide �525
Box 21: Video Clip Showa, Kikasui (Nisai) Price guide �395 Kikasui, �495 Showa	Box 22: Doitsu Kohaku, Doitsu Sanke (Nisai) Price guide �225 - �295	Box 23: Doitsu Kohaku, Sanke and Showa Price guide �225 - �295
Box 24: Kin Ki Utsuri, Doitsu Lemon Hariwake, Doitsu Purachina and Gin Rin Hi Utsuri. Video Clip Price guide �175 (Doitsu Purachina) - �275 (Gin Rin Hi Utsuri) and Kin Ki Utsuri �195	Box 25: Doitsu Sanke Yonsai (4 year old) female 65cm Video Clip Price guide �2495	Box 26: Showa, Gin Rin Showa, Shusui (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �150 - �175
Day 3 - not such a productive day - some breeders were out at a Koi show, and our first visit was to Iwashita, whom we call the earthquake man - as this is where we were at 10 to 6 on that fateful\ day several years ago when the major Niigata earthquake struck and devastated the whole region. Iwashita normally has many high grade and unusual mixes of Koi to offer, albeit quite expensively. However this year he had way less varieties and the quality was not as good so unfortunately we did not buy. Next moved on to Marusaka who breeds some metallics , Doitsu and more unusual Koi. Brought a mixed box with some very good Kin Ki Utsuri with a really light yellow base colour - Marusaka is the best Niigata breeder for this type. Also bought a breathtakingly beautiful if very expensive four year old Doitsu Sanke female which I am sure will end up in my own collection. This has a gorgeous scalloped pattern and light Sumi developing from the tail. Then we moved on to Maruhiro - the brother of Seitero who only has a small facility but like Iwashita, stocks high grade in many varieties. He is know for his Yuki or Snow Asagi - but when we visited he did not have many available. Good Showa and Gin Rin Showa purchased, along with some very clean Shusui. Then on to Kaneko another disappointment as we had an appointment for 4pm, but Kaneko didn't show up till 5pm - very rude by Japanese standards - so by the time we had finished here it was time for dinner.
Box 27: Kigoi, Kujaku, Doitsu Kujaku and Kumonryu (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �175 Kumonryu, �295 Kigoi, �325 Doitsu Kujaku, �395 Kujaku	Box 28: Kikasui, Doitsu Yamatonishiki, Gin Rin Matsakawabake, Doitsu Sanke, Goshiki. Price guide �125 - �150	Box 29: Kikasui, Doitsu Yamatonishiki, Gin Rin Matsakawabake, Doitsu Sanke, Goshiki. Price guide �125 - �150
Day 4 in Niigata - well what a difference a day makes! Yesterday slow and somewhat frustrating - today hectic and very productive. First to the Niigata Koi pioneer - Aoki - who excels at everything he does in terms of producing and improving on all the varieties which he breeds. Originally and still known for the fabulous metallics he breeds and now also known and highly respected for some of the best Goshiki. We bought 3 boxes of super Koi including Kikasui, Yamatonishiki, Doitsu Sanke and Goshiki. He showed us his show winning Goshikis and Beni Kikokurus - simply breathtaking. Then on to Kase who produces similar varieties to Aoki. Here we purchased a box of three year old Yamatonishiki , Doitsu Showa and one very good Beni Kikokuryu. Then on to Hosokai - who breeds many varieties. This year his stocks were plentiful, very reasonably priced and super quality - he has had a very good breeding season. Our party bought 12 boxes of Koi here! Showa, Ochibe, Yamabuki, Kumonryu, Yamatonishiki, Kohaku, Shusui, Soragoi. Unfortunately picturing these purchases proved very difficult owing to reflections from his open roof structure - so apologies that you wont really see the true beauty of some of these Koi until we get home but I can assure you they are very good indeed. Lastly we went on to Oofuchi again for our second visit as he rang to say he had just completed a further harvest. Bought stonking Kin Matsuba, a very special Tancho style Ochibe, Shiro Utsuri, Maretan Sanke, and two excellent Kumonryu. Also from his show fish house a superb female 4 year old Tancho Kohaku female. It was 7pm by the time we had finished. What a day


Box 31: Doitsu Sanke, Gin Rin Matsakawabake, Lemon Hariwake, Kikokuryu Video clip Price guide �195, Sanke �495, Kikokuryu �395	Box 32: Doitsu Showa, Doitsu Yamatonishiki, Beni Kikokuryu Video Clip Price guide �475 - �525	Box 33: Showa (Sansai) Video Clip Price guide �595

Box 34: Gin Rin Ochibe, Yamabuki Ogon (Sansai) Price guide �495 - �595	Box 35: Ochibe Shigure (Sansai) Video Clip Price guide �495	Box 36: Kohaku, Shusui, Gin Rin Ochibe (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �225 - �295
Box 37: Kohaku, Kumonryu, Shusui (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �225 - �295	Box 38: Yamabuki Ogon, Aka Matsuba (Sansai) Video Clip Price guide �595	Box 39: Kohaku, Showa, Yamatonishiki, Gin Rin Soragoi (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �175 - �295
Last full day in Niigata was another frustrating day in that we visited several farms but did not buy much - at least until the afternoon. First we visited Suda A, but his fish were not very good quality and not plentiful. So we moved on to revisit Masaki to see if he had netted out again, but he had not. Then on to Seki who is famous for high grade Shiro Utsuri but he had bad Costia o many of his Koi so we dare not buy anything. So then on to Jirosuke, who had just phoned to say he had netted out more small Nisai. So we went back down the mountainside to his premises. Here we bought a box of super small Beni Kumonryu, Kujaku and Kumonryu - excellent quality as we had the first pick. Then we went on To Otsuke for a second visit as he had just netted out more 2 and 3 year old Koi. We bought Ki Utsuri and Aka Matsuba Nisai (2 years old) and Aka Matsuba Sansai ( 3years old) The reds on the Aka Matsubas positively glows - these are an old variety but increasingly popular as the natural red deepens with age and each red scale on the body of the Koi acquires a black centre giving them a dappled pattern or reticulation. Mature adults like the ones you see here look fabulous. Then we moved on to visit Hosokai again, who also had netted out more Nisai and Sansai. We only visited him yesterday but the fish were so good we had high expectations. We were not disappointed and bought another two boxes, Tancho Sanke, Doitsu Ochibe, Shusui and a very good Shiro Utsuri. And - one very special Tategoi 3 year old Goshiki female which, as you will see from the pictures is pretty special. As this Koi develops, the black (Sumi) will get much stronger in the white areas and the Koi will take on a completely different appearance. Lastly we had an appointment to visit Takahashi in the south of the area and an hours drive away. I was not particularly looking forward to this visit as I had been before in previous years and been disappointed. Not this time. He had a good variety, good stocks and very reasonable pricing. I ended up buying 3 boxes, Gin Rin Showa, Kumonryu, Gin Rin Ochibe, Doitsu Ochibe and excellent Showa. The pictures had to be taken by flash so are a little misleading and it was useless trying to shoot video clips in the half light inside his fish houses - so apologies for this. Today, we did not get back to the Hotel until 7.30pm. Tomorrow we visit Isawa
Box 40: Kin Matsuba, Kumonryu (Sansai) Price guide �795	Box 41: Tancho Ochibe Shigure, Sanke (Sansai) Price guide �595	Box 42: Shiro Utsuri, Kumonryu (Sansai) Price guide �595
Box 43: Tancho Kohaku (Sansai) Price guide �1295	Box 44: Aka Matsuba (Sansai) Video Clip Price guide � 595	Box 45: Aka Matsuba, and Ki Utsuri (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide �395
Box 46: Showa, Kohaku, Kujaku (Nisai) Price guide � 95	Box 47: Beni Kumonryu, Kujaku, Kumonryu (Nisai) Price guide �75 - �95	Box 48: Female Goshiki (Sansai) Video Clip Price guide � 1495
Box 49: Gin Rin Showa and Kumonryu (Nisai) Price guide �250 Showa, �225 Kumonryu	Box 50: Kumonryu, Doitsu Ochibe , Gin Rin Ochibe (Nisai) Price guide �225 - �295 (Kumonryu and Doitsu Ochibe)	Box 51: Showa (Nisai) Price guide � 250
Box 52: Doitsu Ochibe, Tancho Sanke, Shusui and Shiro Utsuri (Nisai) Video Clip Price guide � 225 - �295	Box 53: Kindai Showa and Kohaku (Nisai) Females Video Clip Price guide �795	Box 54: Gin Rin Showa (Nisai) Female Video Clip Price guide �975
Box 55: Kikokuryu (Nisai) Price guide �95	Box 56: Kohaku and Gin Rin Shiro Utsuri (Nisai) Price guide �225 Shiro Utsuri, �495 Kohaku	Box 58: Yamabuki Ogon (Nisai) Price guide �95
Box 59: Kikasui (Nisai) Price guide �295 and �395	Box 60: Kohaku, Doitsu Yamatonishiki, Yamabuki Ogon and Kikasui Price guide �295 - �495 9





29th October - Isawa was not as good as we thought it might be as Hiroi still had not netted out many his new stocks so we did not purchase here. Sakuma was , as usual very good, although he has limited stocks, his fish are always excellent quality. This year I think his prices were also better, and we bought a box of 1 super 2 year old Kohaku from a Momotoro parent amd a beautiful Kindai Showa female - both Nisai and 55cm - as big as most breeders 3 year olds. We also bought a further beautifully patterned 40cm Kohaku -see pictures - just one of those Koi which your eye always returns to when you are viewing lots of the same variety. Some people say that whilst Sakuma Koi are very high quality, they dont grow very large, but over the last few years Sakuma has introduced several new parent stock, including some males from Momotoro to increase size. This Autumn, he had just harvested a batch of 3 year old Go Sanke, and some of these were 75cm ! Not bad. Then we moved on to Omiya, north east of Tokyo, to visit a specialist breeder who we only go to when we know he has had a very good season as he is a very small farm. This year he had very good Yamabuki Ogon and Kikasui - some of these Kikasui were show quality and more expensive than the Go Sanke ! We bought two very high grade examples which wont be cheap but when you view them you can see why they are so much better than normal examples. This farm is one which we will be returning to more often as the quality of his stocks is very impressive. 30th October - last full day we visit another 'secret' breeder right by the seaside in Shizuoka prefecture, about two hours from Tokyo - but this was again very disappointing, with very little stocks and who had clearly not yet netted out the majority of his new harvest. . So this concludes our 2009 trip, we fly home tomorrow. It has once again been an unforgettable experience, some breeders continue to excel, whilst others disappoint. The Koi this year have been, for the most part excellent quality and reasonably priced - The beer has been cold and the company good. We will write again as soon as we return to the UK with details of when the new Koi will be available for viewing.

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