— So in terms of sales volume, is the export volume still higher?

Eiji: Before the pandemic, the domestic and overseas markets were roughly half and half. But when overseas buyers couldn’t come to Japan, domestic customers increased significantly. It was around that time we started actively promoting on SNS, improving our information on Instagram and Google Maps, and releasing videos, which resulted in an increase in domestic customers. Even now that the pandemic is over, domestic customers still dominate. Sometimes, we have more than five new customers visiting in a week, and I feel that there are actually quite a few people starting to raise koi.

— Although some say that domestic enthusiasts are decreasing, upon closer inspection, there are still many koi enthusiasts.

Eiji: Yes. Although some elderly enthusiasts have retired, I think more people are starting to raise koi. There are about ten koi shops in the prefecture, but if there are video introductions or information about the shop’s location, people might choose to visit Maruchiku. Just like looking for a restaurant, people will check the information first.

— Indeed. For example, looking at photos of dishes or word of mouth. Looking at Maruchiku’s Google reviews, many people comment that “it feels very comfortable.”

The official YouTube channel of Maruchiku, where you can enjoy a variety of videos
丸筑魚苑 -Maruchiku Koi Farm-

Kenji: Since I was originally an enthusiast, we don’t do much promotion here. If we did promotions, it would turn into simple transactions like “how much is this” and “how much is that”. We sell koi here all the time, so everyone can come anytime. I want to create a place where enthusiasts can slowly communicate, so we have set up seats near all the ponds. Through communication, we can understand customers’ preferences; simple buying and selling are not fun.

— I see. During promotions, it can indeed be hectic and difficult to communicate slowly.

Kenji: Of course, some people like promotions, so we also do promotions during the New Year.

— How many promotions do you do in a year?

Eiji: We do promotions every year on January 2nd and 3rd, and we might do one more in the fall. To allow customers to select slowly, we have separate houses for selecting koi and for dining.

— You are both producers and look at issues from the perspective of enthusiasts.

Eiji: My father is also an enthusiast, and I never considered myself a professional from the beginning.

— Oh.

Eiji: My father’s explanations are often aimed at professionals, and even as a child, I thought “enthusiasts might not understand what he’s saying,” and I saw my mother helping to explain beside him. Now my father is still like that, so I help explain beside him.

— With Mr. Kenji and Mr. Eiji, you can provide advice based on different levels.

Eiji: We didn’t deliberately do this, but we had this idea from the beginning. Because without communication, we wouldn’t know how much the other person knows about koi, so we pay attention to starting from the perspective of enthusiasts. There are many people with a craftsman’s temperament in this industry, and we try to be as flexible as possible.