Afternoon with Danny's Koi Cafe - Dainichi and Nogami

This afternoon was spent with Danny and Michelle of Danny's Koi Cafe - www.dannyskoicafe.com - who've I've known for several years now, they have been on www.koichat.com during that time and were one of the original advertisers on www.niigata-nishikigoi.com when it launched.  Usually we only meet up at Koi shows here in Japan so it was interesting to spend some more time with them today, as I hope to do over the next couple of days.

We met up at Dainichi this afternoon, I arrived on bicycle anticipating I'd be able to hitch a lift for the rest of the day, unfortunately they had 3 customers with them filling the Toyota Prius hire car.  Luckily Ryuki Narita was also with them in his own car giving me access to a ride.

First we went into what I'd describe as the main Koi house, then the tosai house which I've visited several times over the last few weeks. 

Danny and Michelle were after a 'special' sansai, something to leave to grow on, and Ryuki arranged with Shigeru Mano for us to visit the fabled 'secret Dainichi Koi house'.  Whilst the location of the 'secret' house is perhaps the worst kept secret in Japan, it was the first time I'd actually entered inside.  The value of the Koi contained within this small ramshackled Koi house doesn't bare thinking about, amongst them some of the farm's oyagoi, more of which later.

Several Showa were bowled first, all from the farm's Kokugyo oyagoi.

One of the Showa in particular was significantly different to the other 2 in several ways.  First up it's sumi and beni were less developed than the other 2.  In addition it was somewhat larger than the other 2, somewhere around 68-70cm.  All 3 Showa are sansai.  Shigeru stated that whilst the one in the centre of the last picture above was the show Koi for now, the one below was the Koi for the future if left in Japan.  Sharp eyed may notice some damage to the pec on the right as you look from the head.  It had indeed broken the lead ray, something which has been cut and sewn, and Shigeru anticipates a full recovery.

An option has been taken on the Koi.

Next up some Kohaku were bowled, all of X-Jr bloodline, a number of Koi from that line had also been displayed at the Dainichi OB Kai event back in December - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/619.

For me the most refined pattern was on the one at the top of the picture above although it's body frame was way short of the other 2.  While these 3 Koi were in the bowl Hisato Nogami arrived and it was interesting to earwig the conversation between him and a member of Dainichi staff.  The member of staff also felt the same Koi was best and believed it's body would fill out.  Maybe we'll see the Koi again some time in the future.

One of the stand out Koi at the 2010 All Japan Show for me was undoubtedly the Ginrin Showa that took the overall Sakura Prize and Best in Variety Ginrin A, a Koi bred by Hiroi Koi Farm and supplied by Danny's Koi Cafe, you can see it here - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/680.

It transpired in conversation with Danny that this Koi had actually been purchased from this Dainichi Koi house, Futoshi having bought it from Hiroi, both of whom are members of Sannichikai, something you can read about in issue 2 of Niigata Nishikigoi Digest (coming back soon)  - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/344.  Interestingly their own website is now in English too - http://sannichikai.com/index2e.html.

From Dainichi we headed with Hisato Nogami to one of his Koi houses, again to check out some sansai Kohaku.

The 4 below were bowled up, unfortunately photographing 4 sansai of 60+cm in a bowl is near impossible, certainly with a view of doing all of them justice.

This Koi house contains some serious quality Koi, there is no doubt. There is often talk about the best water in Koi houses in Niigata, as you can see from the pictures below this is truly pristine!

An option was again taken on this Kohaku below, unquestionably a totally unique pattern with awesome qualities to boot.

Danny and Michelle own another of Nogami's Kohaku, one of the 90bu females at the All Japan Show, you can see it here - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/671.  Ryuki Narita commented that the above Koi shared all the same qualities.

At around 4.15pm Danny and Michelle's day drew to a close and they headed back to their hotel in Nagaoka.  I hitched a lift with Ryuki and Shigeru to collect my bicycle before heading over to Torazo for a quick meeting with Tsuyoshi san.

On my way back home I bumped into Maruhiro outside Marusei's Ojiya facility - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/692.  Over the last couple of days building work has started to constuct a new Koi house, I'll return later this week to get some pictures.