Back at home now , and thinking back over the week , and what a week it has been  ! I think this trip has flown past quicker than ive ever known , seemed only a few days i was packing and leaving for Japan , let alone packing to go home ! For those who follow the blog will probably realise there has been a change in direction for us whilst buying in Japan . I think the days of running around trying to visit every beeder we have ever met are gone . Better to spend more time with less breeders and really build on the relationships that we already have , and are already we are seeing the benefits of this . We have about a dozen beeders we work close with , and we always seem to find more koi than we need , this time we broke all records , and went 65 percent over budget . ( What the hell , targarts are supposed to b broken lol ) Id like t think that it wasnt me being carried away , but the right koi and the right prices and buying more koi from less breeders .Highlights of the week ? Far too many to mention , the days of having a bad day are long gone lol , afternoon at Hosakai buying koi of all levels , hand selecting tosai at Shinoda , Tanaka and Kaneko  , visit to Sakai , Hirasawa and Maruhiro buying all the koi we did there all good visits . Once again we have purchased koi at all levels , some people have mentioned that we are still buying alot of small nisai , yes we are , as thats the  business thst got as where we are . We do mean to buy higher standard of koi , but wont turn our back on the cutomers which he have supported us though the years . Thats why we like breeders such as Hosakai and  Maruhiro , nisai from 30 to almost 60cm , its a one stop shop for the want of a better expresson . So once again another very good trip , cant wait untill th next trip in April. Thanks fr reading and see you all soon ..................Gay