Page 33 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 6

THE BIGGEST SMILE

IN NIIGATA

Martin Symonds of Japan Koi Export (JKX)
discovers the origins of the Maruhiro Koi Farm

Martin Symonds has been visiting and buying Koi in
Japan since 1981. Since then he has shipped 10,000’s
of Koi worldwide and 100’s of Koi enthusiasts have
joined him on buying trips in Japan. He started living in
Ojiya City and Mushigame back in 2000, working
closely with the breeders there. Over the last 37 years
his close relationship with the breeders and with
Japanese culture has become unique. He started Japan
Koi Export (JKX) in 2002 with his associate Rene Villela,
they now ship and offer buying trips to dealers and
hobbyists from all over the world who would like to buy
Koi throughout the year with them in Niigata, they run
the popular Koi Masterclass in autumn and later this
year will see them launch KoiVision.Tv, and Martin is
Hironori Hirasawa greets
you with a great smile at writing his book ‘Carp to Koi’. Martin has always been
Maruhiro Koi Farm. fascinated by the breeders’ histories and in this series
of articles writes about how the breeders started and
now run their companies.
A FAMILY With a family history in Koi that dates back over 60

HISTORY years, and a Koi family who have more Koi ponds and
more Koi than anyone else it is no wonder that Hironori
IN KOI Hirasawa (48 years old) aspired to also become one of
the biggest Koi farmers in Niigata. On top of this he has
THAT DATES without doubt one of the most friendliest smiles that
BACK OVER welcomes customers when arriving to his farm. So with
his family’s history and welcoming character it was only
60 YEARS natural that Maruhiro Koi Farm was going to be
successful.

But to understand his success, then I need to go back to
the where and when it all started and this was when his
Selecting high quality
Koi at Maruhiro. father Seitaro Hirasawa (now 78 years old) started in the
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