As many people will know, Saito san from Shintaro koi farm is a very good friend of mine.  Because of this when I am in Japan I always like to try and spend a bit of time with him as a friend rather than a breeder, and do something totally unrelated to koi.

One of my tasks for this trip was to collate a number of pictures of breeders premises and other landmarks in the area.  Previously I have focused more on harvests and koi, with some scenic shots, but never really bothered with specific shots of premises.

Last night I received a phone call from Fujio Oomo to make an appointment to discuss the Visit Niigata campaign.  We had both agreed that this morning would be an ideal time for this, and so with a slight hangover I made my way over to his office at the arranged time.

After today's harvest were finished it was a mad dash to get back tot he hotel and get ready for this evening, as Kato san had invited me to his post harvest party in Ojiya. 

Today was the second day of the Kato san harvest and the weather was in stark contrast to yesterday.  As I drove down route 17 to collect Mark once again the sun was burning gloriously in the sky above.