A visit to Yamakoshi.....

....that's Yamakoshi Mura Sdn Bhd, Penang, Malaysia as opposed to my usual haunt of Yamakoshi, Niigata.

I think I mentioned the other day that my visit to Malaysia was generously sponsored by Yamakoshi Mura Sdn Bhd, Malaysia's largest Koi dealer.  On Sunday evening we made the 4 hour drive from the Koi show in Kuala Lumpur to Penang, for most of which the conditions were awful, heavy traffic and even heavier rain, a truly torrential downpour in this Malaysia's rainy season, I was glad I was not driving, I was shattered from the weekend's activities.

Thankfully Monday afforded me a lie in before we headed off of the island of Penang to the mainland where Yamakoshi Mura's facility is located, well one of them anyway, they also have a 'showroom' which was located pretty much adjacent to my hotel, I'll add a further post about that later.

I need to sort out some more pictures of the facility, and I'll also be putting a video up upon my return to the UK.  The facility is very reminicent of a large Japanese style Koi facility although there is no need for a greenhouse in Malaysia, in fact I'm sure it would be unbearable in one with average minimum temps of 23c year round.  The facility was built in consultation with Kenji Tani of Tani Koi Farm who works closely with Yamakoshi Mura, indeed they were together the first time Soo and the other guys from the company in Ojiya - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/589.

There are around 10 ponds of various sizes which contain both customers Koi that are left in the company's care and Koi that are for sale.  You'll be able to see more on the video later in the week.

Turning 180 degrees from where the above picture was taken you look out upon 2 mudponds.  These are used to primarily grow on tosai for later sale, either to hobbyists or other dealers.  The one in the foreground presently contains mainly Omosako Shiro Utsuri which will be harvested in September.

This larger pond has mainly tosai Chagoi, Karashigoi and Ochiba from Marudo Koi Farm.  I mentioned Marudo's jumbo Koi previously - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/598.  I've also mentioned before that Karashigoi seem to be ever increasing in popularity and seemingly have displaced Chagoi.  On several occasions over the weekend people approached my with questions about Karashigoi.  Indeed several large examples, including a large Doitsu Karashigoi from Konishi Koi Farm were on display, the large Doitsu examples are particularly imposing - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/675.

Once the Koi starting feeding in this pond, perhaps unsurprisingly, they didn't want to stop.

It's been a great time in Malaysia, many thanks to FP Soo and the guys at Yamakoshi Mura for sponsoring my trip, I hope to come back again in the not too distant future.

More pics and details of the show and facility to follow later, in the meantime be sure to check their website http://www.yamakoshi.biz and the newly launched http://www.koiforauction.biz.