— It’s rare for producers to offer so much advice and products to hobbyists.
Eiji: Our main goal is to get more people to like koi, so providing easier tools to get started benefits both sides. These products aren’t exactly cheap, but some people give up because they find keeping fish too troublesome. We want them to stick with it. That’s good for us too.
We’re a small koi shop, but we can do a lot, like offering pond-building consultations to help hobbyists enjoy the hobby even more.
— Eiji san has been producing koi for 10 years now. Along with posting videos and other initiatives, Maruchiku has achieved a lot. What are your plans for the future?
Kenji: When Eiji’s pricing and mine started aligning, I felt comfortable letting him take over. Pricing something that doesn’t have a fixed price is the hardest part. A 100,000-yen koi priced at 1 million yen won’t sell, and a 1-million-yen koi priced at 100,000 yen would mean a loss. So, you need good judgment. Truly good koi are hard to come by, but we’ll keep trying. We’ll figure it out somehow (laughs).
Eiji’s approach fits well with the times. Things aren’t changing every decade anymore—they’re changing every two or three years, and it’s happening fast.
— The key is to understand the trends and adapt to them.
Kenji: The number of koi shops in Kyushu has halved compared to the past, but the ones that remain are very active. The ones who stay will be the winners (laughs). With so many motivated people, we have to keep the Kyushu koi shows going. If the shows disappear, the customers will too. As long as there are koi hobbyists and customers, we’ll keep hosting them. I’ve been in this business for 41 years, and koi are endlessly fascinating. You never get bored.
— How far along do you think you’ve come?
Kenji: Hmm… maybe about six out of ten (laughs). Just past the halfway point. The name of this place, “Tanushimaru”, means “living joyfully.” If you’re not enjoying it, you can’t keep going.
— Mr.Eiji, looking back over the past 10 years, what are your thoughts?
Eiji: Like my father said, it’s been really enjoyable. When I was a kid, I thought the koi shop was great because I got to meet so many people. And it’s not just a one-time transac-tion—there’s a lot of follow-up work. Customers from all walks of life come here, and I love hearing their stories. Of course, through all this, I’ve also come to appreciate the depth of koi keeping. For us and our customers, this place has become a comfortable space, and we want to keep it that way.
— We look forward to seeing more of your achievements in the future. Thank you so much for sharing today.
