Dankoi Limited - For High Grade Hand Selected Japanese Koi

This was originally named after a famous shrine in Minaminigoro village and was, at first, used to raise Yamabuka Ogons but the owner then of the Koi farm (Mr. Minoru Mano) started to ask around to other breeders and farms as to what their favourite Koi varieties would mean to them – and the reply ALWAYS came back as ‘KOHAKU’ so this is what he decided to really concentrate on. 

Hirasawa Yoshiyuki, also known as ‘Marusei’ or ‘Seitaro’, is probably the second biggest producer of Koi in the world –second only to Hiroshima Sakai (Hiroji).This man started out some 20 years ago and vowed to his two sons that he would become the finest Nishikigoi breeder in the world if they agreed to work for him in later years.

Marudo was another Dainichi student when he started his koi career, He was one of the first before returning to Utogi where his father was a koi breeder. Marudo was also a great believer in the jumbo body shape, which Mano of Dainichi made very famous, the huge body shapes were the koi to have, they won all the shows, the huge hump behind the back, the massive cheeks.

This man lives very close to Ojiya and has an elder brother who trades even closer to Ojiya. Hiroi Seiji has one of the finest eyes for Nishikigoi that I have ever seen. In short he is a true master of Nishikigoi (again, in my eyes!)

Firstly, for those visiting this village for the first time, it is also sometimes spelled as Shiyodane, Shiyodani, Shiotani or Shyotani. This outlet is as famous (or more famous?) than Maruhoshi (near Nagaoka) as leading breeders of Kohaku in Yamakoshi. Hoshikin is famous for very high class Kohaku and has bred them from his home in Shiyodani village for very many years.

Igarashi Kazuto is well known to most koi hobbyist’s around the world. Some time or other you will have seen a stunning koi bred by this guy. He has a superb eye for breeding show koi, patterns and bodies which will make you drool. Breeding from a Sensuke Kohaku for his Kohaku, along with Matsunosuke for his Sanke, also producing some great showa from various bloodlines.

Hajime Isa is known for producing Showa Sanke in Ojiya and is really respected by both breeders and amateurs as being one of the finest Showa breeders in the whole world – even alongside Takeda in south Japan.

He also breeds a few Kohaku and Sanke.

Izumiya Koi farm is in Iwamagi villiage, this is probably the most well-known Koi farm in the whole of Yamakoshi today, and it certainly is the oldest.  It is also very traditional and ‘old-fashioned’ in its dealings.  Izumiya breeds true JUMBO Koi from Yamabuki, Jinbei bloodline Sanke and Kohaku to Ai-Goromo. 

I first met Fujio Oomo (pronounced OMO and not ‘OO’MO) in 1993 when he was little more than an enthusiastic Koi amateur and owned a very high class Kimono store in Nagaoka City. However, growing up around all the famous breeders in Yamkoshi could not help but influence him.

Probably my most personal favourite Koi breeder in the world, over many years, Masaru Saito, owner of Shintaro Koi farm, has been a living legend to me, and has taught me so much, - I consider him to be a living GENIUS in the BIG, wide world of Nishikigoi,  Masaru’s home is in Mushigame village, right in the heart of Yamakoshi.

Tsuyoshi Kamakami is one heck of a nice young man who was well-trained by his late father in the expertise of breeding Nishikigoi.  Tsuyoshi also speaks very, very, good English.

Toshio Sakai – Founder and owner of the Isawa Nishikigoi centre in Yamanashi. What can anyone say about this man that has not also been said before?  He is a living genius and legend and has been a true and real inspiration to me for many years. 

Along with Hiroshima Sakai and Dainichi this man is equal to them both.  In short, he is a master in the art of breeding and producing vibrant and healthy Nishikigoi for the world to enjoy!

THIS TEXT WAS WRITTEN BY PETER WADDINGTON AT THE REQUEST OF DAISUKE AND TOSHINORI ISHIHARA AND HAS BEEN CHECKED FOR ACCURACY AS BEING CORRECT AND IS WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF YAGENJI IN THEIR NAMES. 

Yagenji Koi Farm was started by Yaiichi Ishihara in 1962.  A few years ago (2002) our father Yaiichi handed over the day-to-day running of the company to us, his two sons, Daisuke and Toshinori, at the time of writing Yaichi is 65 years old.

Toshiyuki Sakai is Toshio Sakai’s elder brother. Toshio moved to Isawa when he was very young because he knew that his elder brother would get the house and business when their father passed it down, In Japan this is always the case.

Toshiyuki always used his father’s Matsunosuke bloodline, and himself changed it for the better to produce some of the best koi in the world, in the late 70’s and 80’s and early 90’s all you could see outside his facility was Mercedes, Rolls Royce’s...etc etc.