Every year we visit the Japanese koi breeders at harvest time; generally speaking, this is in the second half of October. Seeing the koi as they come in back from the mud ponds allows us to make the best selections for the following year's offerings to be shipped in early spring. We also buy choice koi for immediate shipping, as well as search for customers' "special requests".
It is an overwhelming experience to see the harvest process and the almost unlimited numbers of koi of all ages available in the breeder's indoor ponds. So that you can experience it all, we offer guided tours mainly in the Niigata region, the birthplace of nishikigoi. You can have the unique opportunity to select koi from such a wide selection as you may have never seen before.
We take personal care of each person on the trip with us. For this reason, we strictly limit the number of people that we accept on each trip. You will see Japan, the Niigata mountains, the mud ponds, the breeders, and the koi as we see it all ourselves on our buying trips, the real thing.
We visit fifteen to twenty breeders on each trip: the "big names", several we regularly do business with, and a few that we want to know better, thus increasing our koi sourcing pool. An interpreter accompanies us to facilitate conversations with the breeders (very few of them speak good English).
While there, you will be able to purchase koi at our discount rate. We will facilitate specimen viewing and purchasing and take care of all the details of shipment, import inspection, and customs clearance for you. There is a charge for this service, see the details in Japan Trip Terms & Conditions.
The single most expensive item is the airline ticket, typically around US $750 when purchased at least three weeks in advance. We can arrange for ticket purchases for those who will travel with us (if you have not traveled before in a foreign country of which you cannot speak or read the language, this option is highly recommended). Those who choose to get there on their own will be given essential tips and information on how to find the group once there.
From Narita airport near Tokyo we travel to where we stay in Niigata by train. In Japan, single train ticket purchases are very expensive. To minimize travel costs for tourists, a weekly pass is available from Japan Rail. This pass must be purchased in the USA before the trip: it is not available in Japan. The cost is about US $300.
The hotel cost for a Western-style room will range from US $60 to US $120 per night, per person. We like to reserve hotel rooms well in advance to secure lower prices in a smaller hotel offering good accommodations and services. All people enrolled in our guided tour must stay at the same hotel.
Meals, beverages, and gifts cost about the same as here in the USA.
For local travel we rent a car or a small van depending on how many people are in the group. The rental and gas costs are shared equally between all people in the group, except that the interpreter is not charged for this.
Please contact us anytime. Before you do so, it would be most helpful for you to read and understand our Japan Trip Terms & Conditions. You will be required to sign this document before you can actually join in.