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Anticipation

A trip to Japan is the ultimate adventure The landscape is enigmatic and awe inspiring. Natural
for Koi enthusiasts the world over. As the beauty sculpted by history and generations of farmers,
real costs of international travel render the yet, seemingly un interfered with at the same time. A place
where nature and endeavour co-exist in a respectful, gentle
erstwhile unattainable trip - attainable. With waltz of life and continuity. The ancient landscape is juxta
this in mind, and for those pondering a trip to posed with the most contemporary technologies, almost
Japan, we would like to attempt to proffer an seamlessly. The mountains almost whisper the echo’s of
answer to the question...is it really worth the generations of endeavour and endeavourers labour. This
place possesses a spiritual quality. The silence almost
time and expense? screams out, and the colours of the wind sing a welcome,
A trip to Japan is the ultimate adventure for Koi enthusiasts if unfamiliar silent melody that literally touches your very
the world over. As the real costs of international travel soul. The light is also enigmatic. Having considered this at
render the erstwhile unattainable trip - attainable. With this length and, from a position that light is light - right? Well...
in mind, and for those pondering a trip to Japan, we would actually no - well not in Niigata it’s not. Whether it’s the
like to attempt to proffer an answer to the question...is it clarity of the unpolluted hillsides, the reflections found in
really worth the time and expense? every mountainside, tree, pampas and mud pond, or a
combination of these things or even perhaps over active
The trail blazer Koi professionals and Koi enthusiasts of the imaginations loaded with expectation, doesn’t really matter,
last twenty years of last century, who made the first tentative what does matter, is, that in this place you really can see
exploration of these enigmatic territories found a mysterious, important things more clearly.
almost mystical, unfamiliar land, full of wonders that assault
every sense, experiences that challenged each and every If all this sounds like an excerpt from a Japanese tourist
perception and, at the most fundamental levels. While the board brochure, of course it isn’t, but what it is, is, like all
mystique might be diminished - the magic isn’t! really good things about great places it’s the combined word
of mouth real life experiences of generations of visitors to
While many parts of Japan have special qualities that this amazing place.
hold a particular reverence to Koi people, the actual
place designated the birthplace of Koi is Takesawa village Most serious Koi Keepers reach a point in their Koi
located in the Koi region of Yamakoshi which is in Niigata experiences when they become fascinated by the birthplace
prefecture, holds more than most. The geography and of Koi. A combination of natural inquisitiveness, fascination
terminology can seem like a confusing conspiracy to those and curiosity render this process almost inevitable. Koi
less familiar Koi students. In an attempt to simplify things a enthusiasts are naturally questioning of all things Koi. But
tad we offer a metaphor of the concentric circles of archery Japan is something entirely at entirely different level. For
target! Takesawa is the gold part in the middle. The red part most it’s a trip real only in their imaginations, but as travel,
is Yamakoshi - the locality, the blue bit being Niigata - the even to remote places like Japan, becomes an increasing
region (county/state) and the black outer circle is Japan. possibility for more and more Koi enthusiasts and, renders a
trip to the birth place of Koi - a real possibility.
Located in the gentle mountains in between the Koi “cities”
of Ojiya and Nagaoka, Takesawa is one of dozens of In the early days simply getting to Japan was a literal
villages where Koi dominate, and Koi breeders are the very marathon. The only air route as recently as 40 years ago
essence of these fascinating and introspective communities. was via the arctic ice caps and a multi facetted trip of more
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