December Japan Trip 2025
We’re back in Japan this December, doing the rounds at some of the top koi farms in Niigata and down south. As always, we’re here to check on our azukari, hunt for fresh bloodlines, and get stuck into some proper koi talk with the breeders. This trip’s packed, from Odakan to Omosako, and we’ll be posting photos, updates, and bits of behind-the-scenes as we go.
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Friday 12th December
For our last stop of the Japan 2025 trip, we returned to Ogata Koi Farm, and it didn’t disappoint. We’d visited this breeder last year and were impressed then, but this time the quality, especially in the Shiro Utsuri, was on another level. Easily some of the best we’ve seen in a few years.
To be brutally honest, this trip could have been shorter. A few of the early visits didn’t deliver, some breeders weren’t ready, and it cost us three days of productivity. Lesson learned. But Ogata reminded us why we come out here - real quality and solid value.
Wednesday 10th December
After a quick stop at Oishi up the road, we rolled into Taniguchi Koi Farm to get stuck into tosai. Taniguchi’s setup is spread across a few fish houses, and while the nisai and sansai were nothing to write home about, we weren’t here for them anyway. This farm is all about tosai.
Taniguchi’s known for selling off his top tosai early. No holding back the best fish for azukari or keeping his tategoi separate. He’s run that model for years now, and it works.
We focused on several ponds, going through:
Some cracking Aragoke including a few with standout scalation
A couple of more experimental metallics like Matsukawabake – not fish you see often, especially not with the bone structure we found here
We ended up with a really strong selection of hand-picked tosai.
Next stop Fukuyama, then heading back north. The season’s nearly wrapped, but there’s still work to do.
Tuesday 9th December
We started the day at Momotaro Koi Farm, one of the biggest and most advanced farms in Japan. Straight away, you’re hit with the scale of it. Giant ponds, huge shower filters chucking water like waterfalls, and filter systems built into the walkways. Every corner of the place is designed for serious growth and high-level koi production.
We focused on tosai selection, hand-picking across several ponds. We pulled some cracking pieces.
Quality was solid overall, especially in terms of body shape and skin, real high backs, big heads, thick scalation. Not everything hit top-tier levels, but for the value, a lot of it made sense. The male tosai in particular were really strong and half the price of some very average females. Just goes to show, don’t write off males.
We wrapped things up at Momotaro with 35 pieces selected for our next shipment, a mix of tosai that’ll be heading back to the UK and some lined up for our Christmas Auction.
After lunch at a restaurant owned by Daisuke’s family (beef curry was banging, by the way), we headed up into the mountains to Kibi Koi Farm.
Kibi is a small setup, just two fish houses and a handful of ponds, but the quality he’s working with is strong. We weren’t planning to buy show fish here, but ended up securing two stunning Doitsu Showa that’ll be staying in Japan as azukari for future koi shows. One of them’s a proper standout piece.
Monday 8th December
Back at Kondo, one of our favourite stops down south, and this year didn’t disappoint. We kicked things off with a look at our azukari results, including a fish from last April that, despite not being female, has turned into a proper unit. Superb beni, thick skin, and plenty of potential. Could easily hit 70cm and be one for the All Japan if it keeps tracking the way it is.
One of the real surprises was a client’s fish, again not one we had massive expectations for, but it’s developed into a cracking female, now 44cm, and on course for the All Japan Koi Show in January. It’s fish like this that prove why azukari is worth doing, even with the odd gamble.
We’ve also been collecting tosai here over the last few months through auctions. One of them has already taken Gold at the recent WNC Show, and a few others are now being considered for show entries.
We spent the day selecting even more fish for our Christmas Auction. The quality this year is seriously strong, especially on the Sanke and Kohaku. Kondo’s working with new parent stock and really pushing things, some of the sumi quality and body structure in these tosai is top tier.
Next stop Ogata and Okawa.
Sunday 7th December
R’s Collection Event
Day two at Narita Koi Farm was all about the R’s Collection, one of the most prestigious events in the calendar. It draws top-end fish from the best breeders in Japan and attracts dealers and collectors from across the world.
The event runs on a digital lottery system, so as always, it’s a numbers game. This year felt tougher with a lot of good fish but also some that didn’t quite hit the mark for the price. That said, we walked away with some really solid pieces.
You’ve got to be here to really see the quality. Online photos only tell half the story, plenty of fish looked better (or worse) in person. That’s why we make the trip.
Another event done, a few new koi lined up, and more on the radar. Still a long week ahead. Next stop, Kondo.
Saturday 6th December
Narita Koi Farm – Serious Koi, Serious Setup
After wrapping up the mountain leg of the trip (which was a bit tricky with the weather and some breeders not being quite ready) we headed down south to Narita Koi Farm. Straight away, warmer weather, and a different vibe altogether.
The place is next level. From the entrance to the layout of the ponds, the whole facility is built to the highest standard. Big water turnover, proper oxygen systems, and ponds packed with quality fish from breeders like Dainichi, Kondo, Taniguchi and Sakai.
We were there for the Narita Cup event with well over 1000 tosai up for grabs. It’s run on a fully digital lottery system now, so no more chopsticks in a bowl. The process is fast, smooth, and spot-on. We managed to pick up a few nice pieces, a Dainichi Showa and a couple of cracking Goshiki with proper potential.
Also had a walk around some of the newer fish houses and quarantine setups. Everything’s spotless and well thought-out, down to the black vats for Shiro to stop colour fade. Even the salt room’s stocked like a trade warehouse.
You can tell why Narita’s called “Number One Koi”. It’s not just a slogan, everything he does is bang on. If you ever get the chance to visit, it’s worth it just for the experience.
Thursday 4th December
Early start and a long drive down to Murayama, but worth every mile. We jumped straight into some serious tosai - Kohaku, Showa, and a box of cracking Gin Rin Kohaku. Big bodies, thick beni, proper Murayama patterns even at 5–6 months old. Had to be picky with the Showa, but quality’s there if you’ve got the vision.
We had a bit of a tour round the farm too. Some real heavy Nisai and Sansai knocking about, plus a few surprises (including a cactus obsession and a koi bowl built like a tank). Murayama’s place is something else.
Check out the video for a proper look at the fish, the farm layout, and the kind of koi we’re looking at bringing back.
Wednesday 3rd December
Ryan and Kev have arrived in Japan and are heading straight into the mountains for some Tosai hunting. Regular updates will be posted on this page, but also join the WhatsApp group and follow Exclusively Koi on Youtube to keep up-to-date on the trip.