By popular request, here's a selection of photo’s
taken while on buying trips to Japan.

The photo's behind the numbered buttons are just a random selection from over the years which I hope will give a feel for what a buying trip to Japan is like. I will, hopefully, be adding to the collection as the years go by but wiil put these under a year button.

I know some of the pictures may give the impression that we are on holiday and I have had that very discussion with many customers over the years.

Nothing could be further from the truth !

It is hard just work all day from 8am to 7 pm, albeit in another country.

If we give the false appearance of being on holiday I would bring to your attention the fact that those particular photo’s are taken after the working day is finished and are simply representative of the energy our group injects into the Koi buying process.

Look at it this way ...........

A TYPICAL FIRST DAY !

Leave home @ 7:30am for Newcastle airport & a 10:10am departure.

Take flight to Amsterdam landing @12:30pm local time.

Bummel about Schipol airport until 15:15pm departure to Tokyo.

Take flight to Tokyo arriving 10:40am local time (9 hours ahead).

Take local train to Ueno station.

Connect with the Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Nagaoka.

Walk to Hotel, drop bags and go straight out to look at Koi.

Arrive @ first Koi breeders approx 2:30pm. (your brain now thinks it is 5:30 in the morning).

2hrs 40min

1hr 20min

2hr 45min

10hr 25min

1hr 10min

2hr 2min

30min

1hr

You have now been travelling for 22 hours, you've had virtually no sleep and now you  MUST buy Koi because that is your business. So - you're looking at the first of many ponds you will see during the week and there are koi you like. First job is to find out how much. That is not just a question because there are the formalities of Japanese etiquet for our negotiator to go through first but in a little while you have an asking price. Now - engage the brain and think - If that Koi costs me ¥???,??? @ todays exchange rate ¥??? to the £1.00 that will cost £?.?? plus that size Koi will be 3 per box so shipping will cost £?.?? i.e. landed cost will be £?.?? so will I be able to sell it @ £?.?? - and how much less will I pay if I buy 10 fish or 100 fish or perhaps even the pondful. During all this negotiation your eyelids feel as if they need matchsticks to prop them open.

Strangely, by 8:00pm your brain is coming to life because your body clock thinks it is actually 11:00am. It's now time to go out for something to eat and that first beer always tastes great (The second is not too bad either)

And so eventually to bed @ about 11pm. Your head hits the pillow (One side is full of rice, yes rice, and the other is more normal) and you go out like a light. When you wake you feel like you have had a restful sleep, you look to see what the time is and discover that it is 2:00am & still 5 hours 'til breakfast.

Never mind it's only 18 hours 'til that next beer. All work and no play as they say .......