• More Show Success

    We have just been informed by one of our client's in South Devon that two koi we supplied last year have won awards at the South Devon Koi Club photog... more

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    We are very pleased to announce that the Yagenji Ginrin Kohaku that we supplied at nisai has recently won first prize in 60bu Ginrin at the Niigata No... more
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This gallery shows images from Ricky's very first working visit to Japan in 2006. This visit had been arranged with Fujio Oomo since he first met him in 2003. Just one month after Ricky turned 16 years old he made the journey to the other side of the world alone, to gain a new and unique insight into Nishikigoi.

Over the course of Ricky's trip he experienced many different activities at top Koi farms such as Oomo, Marusho, Yagenji & Nogami. He actually lived with Fujio Oomo, Makoto Tanaka & Hisato Nogami which added a really special touch to the experience.

The activities undertaken on the trip were all based around selection and rearing techniques. Tasks such as feeding and maintaining the mud ponds containing both the fry and older Koi. Then first, second and fourth round senbetsu of Kohaku and Showa. Ricky also got hands on with the construction of NND's joint venture facility which was being built at the time.

The trip was a very valuable experience for Ricky and luckily it wasn't to be the last!

Fujio feeding the fry in the torrential rain

Fujio preparing for the sembetsu (selection).

Showa at the second round of culling

Fujio and his happy apprentice Ricky

Ricky's first Showa sembetsu (selection).

Showa fry before selection.

The chosen Showa fry.

Fujio's No.1 in the pond.

KB's Kohaku & Gin Rin Kohaku

Learning Kohaku selection with KB

Net of Kohaku fry before selection.

The selected Kohaku & Gin Rin Kohaku.

A special Yondan Maruten Kohaku.

Tamikazu Kobayashi (KB) hard at work.

Mixing masoten to treat the mud pond.

It must be fully dissolved.

Distributed evenly over the pond surface.

Massoten is added as a preventative.

The feeding ring used in all the ponds.

Makoto putting fry in the holding net.

High grade Doitsu Go-Sanke fry.

NND's mud pond complex.

Toshinori Ishihara aka Tokko San. (Yagenji)

Yagenji No.1 mud pond near Mushigame.

Bullfrog tadpoles

Mountains around Mushigame village.

Pond containing just 12 Male, Nisai.

Filling the auto feeder.

Pond containing 25 very good female Koi.

Yagenji main Koi house in Mushigame.

It was still being repaired after the earthquake.

Showa fry at Yagenji from a new Oyagoi set.

Fry waiting to be graded. Moved here from the main net.

Toshinori & Daisuke (Yagenji brothers)

Watching a master at work.

The apprentice at work. Total concentration!

View from where Ricky was working.

Oomo Showa 4th selection.

My good friend & teacher, Fujio Oomo.

A good one!

The top 3.

Another pic.

Waiting to be graded.

Some fry were harvested and released to the concrete pond.

Incoming freshwater from the mountain stream.

The pipe running from the stream.

The pond overflow & main drainage point.

1 of 2 daily feeds for the Chagoi pond. Pellets and silkworm.

Over 120 Chagoi need a lot of food.

Oomo Gin Rin Showa 2nd selection.

Fujio really does love the camera.

Moving the fry to the main tank.

The office for the afternoon.

Some of the very best tategoi.

Another pic.

The rest of the Tategoi.

Releasing the Tategoi.

Mixing the food on a large scale.

Ricky was drawn the short straw.

Makoto adding a blanketweed treatment.

Not the best work wear at 40 degrees.

Kohaku 2nd sembetsu at Yagenji.

Tokko setting up for a long day.

2 good Tategoi Sandan Kohaku.

Helping with construction of NND's facility.

Grinding the rough edges down was the task of the day.

Facility overview.

Main show pond.

The Kei truck with various food mixes.

Pond with some harvested fry.

Dainichi mud pond with fountain.

Ricky & Nogami's family.

Ricky with Makoto Tanaka and his daughter Natsumi.

  • KG1341

    Variety: Sanke
    Breeder: NND - Marusho
    Sex: Male
    Age: Nisai
    Size: 54cm (21.3 inches)
    Price: £945

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