2009 in pictures - November
Posted 31 Dec 2009 - 23:53 by Mark Gardner
The beginning of November saw a bit of a cold snap with the first snow of the year falling. This coincided with the harvest of famous hobbyist Masao Kato's Niigata mud ponds on 3rd and 4th November.
The harvest sees some of Niigata's most famous breeders, Nogami, Matsunosuke, Hiroi Seiji, Torazo, Shintaro, Marusada, Hosokai, Dainichi, all coming together to harvest Kato san's Koi.
All of the Koi return to a Koi house of Nogami before being transported to Kato san's own facility near Tokyo.
Some of my personal favourites from the harvest.
On 20th November I made a visit to Niigata City to see Toki Messe, venue of the 2010 All Japan Koi Show. Pictured below it looks a great venue. More than ever there seems to be a real buzz around Niigata about next year's show with lots of talk about the Grand Champion candidates.
Understandably things somewhat quietened down through November, one unexpected harvest did take place on 24th November when Manabu Yamasaki invited us to a harvest of some of his nisai which were still in the mudponds.
Inside Koi houses all over Niigata tosai are being grown on in heated water in the Koi houses, the sight of 1000's of tosai swarming in a pond as you approach always impresses. These are Shintaro Showa.
The picture below is the same panoramic image that was repeated throughout the year, this one taken on 27th November. Click on it to see the 6000 pixel wide version.
