Have you ever wanted to go to Japan to buy koi?

Our first trips start in mid October for the breeders Fall Harvest of their mud ponds. This is when the whole Niigata area is a-buzz with energy.I've been leading buying trips to Niigata, the koi capital of the world for several years now.

In late January, we lead a trip that begins with the famous All Japan Show in Tokyo, then it's off to the mountains of Niigata. Although the koi farm greenhouses are heated, the mountain area is in deep winter so dressing warm is a must. Snow is everywhere, it's beautiful.

Come Springtime, we travel again. This is when all the melting snow and soil nutrients combine and flow to the mud ponds, thus setting the stage for another spectacular year of growth and color.

Additional trips at other times can be arranged in special cases.

Traveling to Japan is more than a buying trip. It's an adventure...so completely different from visits to anywhere else in the world. The selection of premier koi is vast. Regardless of what you seek, I'll make sure we'll find it ten-fold. But be warned, those who have traveled with me in the past have been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the koi we find, they usually buy more than they intended. Heck, we can't blame them. 

Here are some more specific details if you might be interested in going to Japan on one of our trips or venturing to Japan on your own.

The biggest cost when traveling to Japan is the flight. I fly from Newark International Airport in New Jersey and the flight is about 13 hours long. The average cost on Continential Airlines from NJ to Narita, Japan is about $1500.00. If you have the frequent flyer miles or the means I highly recommend upgrading to business class for all of the obvious reasons. If you can fly business class it will make you feel as if you flew 4 or 5 hours less then if you were in coach class and on a 13 hour flight. The next cost to consider is the train which on average is $300.00 round trip starting from Narita airport to Nagaoka and back. If you think you will be traveling in Japan and using the trains more then just the round trip to the mountains then you might want to get a JR Rail Pass. This can save you some money and make using the trains easier. Remember if you are going to get a rail pass you have to get the pass voucher in the good old USA and redeem it in Japan when you are ready to use it. Besides the JR Rail Pass link which has a lot of information you can also find train schedules and prices at Hyperdia

The hotel is the next thing to consider. I prefer to stay at the Nagaoka New Otani. There are other hotels in the area like The Nagaoka Grand Hotel and also The New Business Plaza in Ojiya. The New Otani and The Grand are simillar in price but the New Otani is nicer and newer. They offer CNN, semi- high-speed internet and a good breakfast. If you sign up for the Club New Otani Card you get a discount on the room and free breakfast. For a single room it is about $95.00 per night.

That covers most of the big expenses and things like food, drinks and souvenirs are about the same price as in the USA and there are plenty of places to eat near the hotel. These are average prices as of 10/01/13.

We look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions please call or email.

Come travel with me and bring home some souvenirs for your pond.

-Mark Bodycott