How it works

After a quick consultation with Tim, we will choose a date and arrange your flights.

We will take care of the hotels for your stay in Nagaoka, and the rooms will all be ready for when you arrive.

We have our own trucks to take you around the Yamakoshi mountains, and we will leave at a certain time every morning from the hotel.

We arrange lunch at a breeders house each day and usually take an hours break to enjoy a different meal every day.

We will visit multiple breeders during the day and you can look for specific Koi you would like to buy. The koi buying side is very similar to how you would buy at a Koi dealer where you live… We go in, find a Koi we like, bowl the Koi up and get the price. If the price is right for us, we will buy it. It’s that simple.

In the evenings you are free to explore Nagaoka and enjoy so many fantastic restaurants and bars. It’s a big City with many options. Some evenings we will arrange dinners out with one of the breeders.

When you have finished the trip we will then arrange to ship the Koi to you. We can offer a Quarantine service in some locations. Shipping will be discussed fully before the trip is confirmed and we will make sure it is possible to get the Koi to you with the least amount of hassle.

We will charge a commission on any Koi purchase, and the freight costs are NOT included in the price of the Koi.

Koitrips have no restrictions on visiting any breeder.

We visit them all during a Koitrip.

 

Just a few breeders we can visit on Koitrips:

Shintaro Shinoda
Yagenji
Yozaimon
Kanno
Maruhiro
Torazo
Otsuka

Dainichi
Aiyoki
Isa
Marusei
Kazuto
Nogami

To see these amazing Koi getting harvested from the mud pond is a special experience… with Koitrips you can even get your hands wet and your boots dirty and get into the mud pond and really enjoy it!

The entire trip is just Koi; we go to farms all day every day… we harvest ponds much of that time too. The way we time the trips there is always something special to do!

When it comes to buying Koi there is a range to suit all budgets. We always try and take you to places where we can find that special Koi to match your budget. We always manage in the end…

Many of our clients who come to Japan on Koitrips now buy Koi and leave them to grow. This is a great excuse to come back the next year to see your own Koi being harvested, and as I said earlier, you can even harvest your own Koi!

Keeping Koi in Japan is also a great way to achieve growth on Koi. 55cm Koi tend to grow to 62-65cm and add great body, which is vital to a Koi’s development during the 2 to 3yr stage. Then it can be shipped home to grow in your own pond.
The costs of Koi to vary a lot in Japan but please remember, the search is still very important. You do not just walk into a breeders Koi house and find every Koi is the most amazing Koi you have ever seen, the ‘Hunt’ is always on trying to find these Koi. That special Koi you see and think ‘That’s the one’
The one that jumps out on you, the reason for the trip in the first place.

The main costs

  • 20% commission on all Koi purchase.
  • booking deposit of £1000 which is refundable on Koi purchases.
  • Travel & accommodation while in Japan.

  • Shipping costs of purchased Koi.

We will handle the booking of the hotels in Nagaoka, we use the New Otani which is by far the best hotel in that area. The hotel provides a great breakfast and it’s a 2-minute walk to the station where there are coffee shops etc.

We will confirm the price of the hotel but it’s usually around £60/$90 a night but the hotel price is always dependant on the current exchange rate of your country.

The Hotel will be paid by yourselves upon check out.

You can book your own flights or we can arrange a quotation for you through our contacts. 

The train journey from the airport (Depending which airport) is around 3 hours. The cost, again exchange rate depending on is around £100 per person. There are different classes on the train which are more expensive.

We hire trucks in Japan, and the cost will be split per day and added to your total invoice.
We can arrange your entire trip if that makes it easier for you.