A Koi full day - part 2 - the afternoon

Following lunch of ramen noodles in Mutsumi Ramen along Route 17 in Kawaguchi we headed to Marudo where selection of more tosai was the order of the afternoon.

Following the building of Marudo's new greenhouse last year the ponds in the  Koi houses next to route 17 hold tosai as well as the tosai house near Dainichi.

In order to reduce temperature loss all the ponds have covers over them.  As such netting them requires getting into the pond to drag the net around.  As Hirasawa-san did so first 1, then 2 and finally a 3rd tosai escaped the net.  Hirasawa refuted the jokingly made suggestions that he'd let the best 3 escape.

The netted tosai, mainly Kohaku and Sanke.

Jos selecting Koi.

Then it was noticed that considerably more than 3 escapees were now swimming in the pond.  First everyone checked that all sides of the net were secured above the water, which they were.  It turned out that a mouse had taken a nibble at the net making a hole.

With the hole fixed, and despite the fact that there were plenty of tosai still in the net, Hirasawa-san returned to the water to net the pond a second time, this time capturing all it's inhabitants.

Hirasawa-san making a few suggestions.

I understand that these tosai are to be part of a competition for the NVN in the Netherlands.  Hirasawa-san was asked to select his top 5.

Update: Oops, it seems that I may have let the cat out of the bag a little early post posting the breeder's top 5!!  Sorry!!

Having sorted the Sanke it was time for some Showa, again for the NVN competition.

These were Hirasawa-san's top 5 from those selected.

With the tosai business completed it was to the new Koi house were a yonsai Kujaku, 2 nisai Showa and a nisai Sanke were purchased. 

Final stop of the day was to be Masaki in Koguriyama to complete the purchase of this very nice sansai Shiro Utsuri.

A second was also purchased.

Finally Jos was given the opportunity to select some small tategoi Shiro Utsuri, along with 5 Tancho Showa, that Hiroi-san had specially picked out for him.

Following drinks with Hiroi-san in the house it was back to the hotel and the end of a thoroughly enjoyable day.