3 days ago we pulled another 5 & 6 year old koi pond. A little under 20 fish and all of them were very large. Most already sold and belong to customers, we brought them all to Muikaichi. The past 2 days I have been koi shopping with my family, but the other night I helped Marudo box up fish for shipping. On the 29th when I am finished koi buying I am going to go visit some friends in Yamagata preficture.

Yesterday morning Takuya and Marudo brought some fish to a koi show in Nagaoka, while the rest of us went to go pull another Chagoi and Kigoi pond. We pulled around 260 fish, they were sansai and yonsai. We brought all of them to Nigoro, after that Keiko and I went to Nagaoka to help Takuya pack the fish up at the koi show. I think Marudo took 2nd place with a kohaku, but Igarashi took grand champion with a sanke. After we brought the fish from the koi show back to Muikaichi we were finished for the day.

This morning we set up a tank for packing fish for shipping. When the tank was ready for fish we caught all of them that are going to be shipped out tomorrow and put them in the tank. Next we went to Sanbusho to clean auto feeders that were at the mud ponds. After that we went back to Muikaichi to help customers. After lunch Marudo, Keiko, and I helped customers at Muikaichi while the others pulled a sansai and yonsai gosanke pond. When they finished pulling the pond I went to Sanbusho to help them unload the fish. All of the fish went to Sanbusho because they are already sold and the buyers chose to have their koi stay in Japan to develope to their full potential under the care of the breeders. Next we went back to Muikaichi to help customers for the remainder of the night.

Yesterday we didn`t do to much. We just helped customers at Muikaichi.

This morning we started packing fish to be shipped out at 5 am. When that was finished that we went to Nigoro to move some Chagoi & Yamabuki Ogon to Muikaichi, because the KHV testing came back negative. This year Marudo produced a new colored chagoi, so asked me what should he name it. It is kind of pumpkin colored, and `pumpkin` in Japanese is `Kabocha`. So I said why not name it Kabochagoi, he said he likes that name. After lunch and the fish from Nigoro were moved to Muikaichi, we went back up the mountains to pull the last nisai pond, which contained Shiro Utsuri. I think there was around 60 fish. All of them were brought to Muikaichi and Marudo sorted them, tategoi from sell koi. After that we helped a few customers and then we were finished for the day.

Yesterday we pulled one of the two #1 nisai ponds. We brought all the fish back to Muikaichi, there was a lot of people waiting for us when we got back. We put numbers in a hat and everybody drew a number to see who got first choice. Almost all of the fish were sold, many to Japanese dealers. They rest of the day I helped sell fish and translate for customers.

Today we pulled the second #1 nisai pond. We did the same thing we did yesterday, had people draw numbers to see who had first choice. After lunch we headed back up the mountain to pull a sansai & yonsai pond. The pond was very wide so we had to use two seine nets at the same time. All of the fish were brought to Muikaichi, many of them were sold as nisai and the buyer chose to have them stay in the mudponds for another season or two.

Yesterday morning we pulled another nisai gosanke pond. The bodies on the fish were very thick, I think it is because they were in a very deep pond. I am not sure how many there were, but they were all very high quality. We brought them all to Muikaichi. The rest of they day I helped translate and sell fish. Also, Marudo let me pick out a fish that I wanted, and gave it to me as a gift. I picked a Kohaku. Later that night, somebody was looking at the koi and saw my kohaku, they asked me if I would sell it to them but I said no because it was a gift from Marudo.

This morning we pulled a gosai pond. All of the fish were huge and very beautiful. The largest was a kohaku, it was 88 cm. There was about 30 fish in all. Some of them are sold already, the buyers left them in Japan so that they can grow out and develope to their full potential in the mud ponds.

The past two nights, two Japanese dealers have been staying with us at Marudo`s house. Today they asked me if I wanted to go look at some koi with them, so we went to Isa, Torazo, and Suda.

Yesterday we pulled the Gin Rin Chagoi pond, there was about 320 fish. We moved them all to Nigoro.

Today we pulled the first Gosanke pond, we rented a crane again to lift the koi up to the trucks. There were almost 380 koi, all of them were nisai and very large for nisai. The average size was about 20-22 inches. All of them were brought to Muikaichi and graded there, the low and middle qaulity fish were put into one of the tanks that is divided in half. And the high quality fish were moved the small tank at the end of the green house. Word must have gotten out that we were pulling a gosanke pond today cause we had a none stop flow of customers all day.

Yesterday we drove 2 hours to the pond somewhere outside of Niigata city. The pond was huge it must have been 10-15 acres in size. Marudo left before we did to drain the pond down so we could catch the koi right away when we arrived. We rented a crane to lift the buckets of koi up to the road to the trucks. We moved a little over 350 koi, most of them were 28 inches +. We moved all of the fish from this pond to Nigoro.

Today we pulled the Asagi\Shusui pond in the afternoon. You have to walk down a steep hill to get to the pond, so to move the koi up to the trucks we handed them off to each other. It was a lot easier than walking all the way to the truck. We took them all to Muikaichi so Marudo could grade them. Also, in the morning a couple customers came.

Yesterday we moved all the tosai out of the first house at Nigoro, I don`t know if it is to make room for larger koi or not. Today we started pulling nisai, we pull one pond this morning, a little over 150 fish. There were Hi Utsuri, Kujaku and a couple Asagi in the pond. We brought them back to Muikaichi and graded them there. Tomorrow we are driving 2 hours to somewhere near Niigata city to pull 400 koi. They are all nisai and I think they are a mix of yamabuki ogon, kigoi, and different matsubas. Also this afternoon I helped Shinji move some stuff out of his old house and into his new house, his old house was damaged by the earthquake. And we packed the trucks for tomorrow so we can leave right away in the morning.

All of the tanks have been painted, and we have built nets that keep the fish from jumping out for the new tanks. We also built dividers for two tanks. One tank is divided in half and the other into thirds. Also we clean a bunch of buckets and food bins, and moved them to a storage container in Korinochi.

About a week ago I taught everybody how to play Texas Hold`em, so everynight we have been playing cards. I have taught them more American card games and they have taught me some Japanese card games. Some of them are the same, just the name is different. Also we talk about our likes and dislikes, one night they asked me if I like karaoke. I said yes, and they too like it, so tomorrow we are going to a karaoke bar.

I should explain who is who so you know what I am talking about.

Hisashi is Marudo, founder of Marudo koi farm
Yoshie, is Marudo`s wife

Toshihiro, is Marudo`s son
Kasumi, is his wife
Takuto & Kengo, are their two sons

Keiko, is Marudo`s daughter

Shinji, is Marudo`s brother

Takuya, is a worker at Marudo koi farm

All of the tanks are clean and only 2 need to be painted. We needed supplies for the koi house so me and Shinji went to the city, its funny all of the weird looks I get. Also today Marudo got back from China, he was over there judging a koi show. And Takuya had to go get stiches because he slipped with the holesaw and gouged his hand. Yesterday was Shinji`s birthday and tomorrow is Kasumi`s birthday.

So far we have painted 3 tanks, and I think we have 5 more to go. This morning when me and Shinji were painting one of the tanks we forgot to take breaks for fresh air. So we ended up getting a little `dizzy` as Shinji put it. We also moved some tategoi out of the Muikaichi koi house to the Sanbusho tosai house. So that we can continue cleaning and painting tanks so that they will be ready for the big fish when we pull them out of the mudponds.

We finished pulling all of the tosai ponds, and now we are in the process of cleaning and repainting the tanks for the big koi. Right now Marudo is in China judging a koi show, when he gets back we will start pulling the large koi ponds; thats going to be fun cause some of the koi are 36". Yesterday we drained the tosai ponds and caught any remaining koi that were missed by the seine net. The road, or should a say lack of a road, made the ride up the mountain very interesting.