Wednesday with A and C - Mazaki and Hosokai

First stop this morning was an appointment with Taro Kataoka at Oya Koi Farm to pick up some tosai.  Unfortunately the grade on offer wasn't what Jos was after and Taro wouldn't allow a pick through his tategoi, not the hoped for start that was hoped for.

Jos was after some high quality tosai Asagi so we stopped just down the hill at Otsuka to ask if he would sell any, he declined.  Things not going to plan!

From their we headed up to Masaki who we've seen a number of times on the blog:

http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/696

http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/687

Jos was confident that Masaki san would have something for him having picked up tosai in previous years.

First up Masaki offered some Kumonryu to pick through and a number of tosai were duly selected.  Next Jos asked for some Asagi which Masaki again offered a selection to pick through, whilst not the size Jos was after they were again purchased.

In the same Koi house were 3 fiberglass tanks containing Masaki san's tategoi.  Jos asked if he could take a look under the covers.  At first Masaki san stated they were tategoi and not for sale.  Reluctantly he agreed to first lift the covers, then eventually gave in and allowed Jos to select some from 1 of tanks, then the 2nd and then the 3rd, resulting in a very nice bowl of small, but excellent tategoi including Beni Kumonryu, Shusui, Shiro Utsuri, Tancho Showa and a Tancho Beni Kumonryu, along with the earlier selected Asagi.

You can view a video of the tosai below, the video is in high definition, click the full screen icon to view in real detail.

Masaki Tosai Selection from Nishikigoi.TV on Vimeo.

With business concluded at Masaki we headed off to lunch before taking the journey to Hosokai in Wakatochi.

Two yonsai Showa, the first 67cm, the second around 65cm were bowled and duly purchased.

Jos then started to go through one of the nisai tanks initially looking for a couple of Koi to fill up a box with a Ginrin Maruten Ochiba Shigure purchased but of which I don't have a picture.

Jos ended up selecting 12 Koi, of which the Sanke and Showa below were my personal favourites.

Some Nisai in another pond also attracted Jos's attention, 7 bowled initially and whittled down to the 5 below. 

It was 4.30pm by time we were finished at Hosokai and time to call it a day and head back to Ojiya, a frustrating start to the day turned out good in the end.