The Emerging Desire to “Start a Koi Farm”
YouTube’s Advantage: Ease of Communication

Mr. Igari’s journey in koi keeping began about six years ago. It started with the construction of a small, rock-walled pond in his garden when he built his house.
Mr. Igari said: “I liked fish since childhood and kept tropical fish, etc. Later, seeking Japanese fish, large and beautiful fish, I arrived at Nishikigoi. So, I built the pond and put koi bought online in it.”
However, the pond was small (about 1m x 1.5m), and circulation relied only on a water cleaner, making water management difficult and the fish invisible. Also, considering child safety, he decided “This won’t do” and filled it in. He then restarted with a 4-ton frame pool.

In order to improve the breeding environment, a plastic greenhouse was built in March this year.

While interacting with koi as a hobby, the feeling of “wanting to run a koi farm” welled up from deep within. Mr. Igari visited Fujita Fish Farm last March and discussed his envisioned future. With advice and backup from Mr. Fujita, he started selling Fujita Fish Farm koi via Yahoo Auctions and a homepage. At the end of last year, he switched to the current method of introducing sale koi on YouTube. By that point, he had been on YouTube for over a year and a half and had a certain number of followers, so sales were good from the start.
Mr. Igari said: “Currently, about one-third of my sales are new customers and two-thirds are repeat customers. I believe it is necessary to further strengthen my repeat customer base and simultaneously grow YouTube to acquire new customers.”
Regarding the advantage of YouTube over Yahoo Auction or his homepage, he explains, “I can talk along with the koi’s movements in the video, making it easier to convey what kind of koi it is. Things like ‘It has a good body shape’ or ‘There’s good Sumi here’—I think people who resonate with that find it easier to buy.”
Not just videos, he also accepts visits to his home for those wanting to see the actual koi, which is rare among “Koi YouTuber” primarily active online. Some even visit from Yamagata, he says.

The hand-dug pond made when he started keeping Nishikigoi.

A Hidden Layer of Potential with Great Possibility
Online First, Physical Store in the Future

When describing the current state of the koi industry, the phrase “Exports are strong, but domestic activity is sluggish…” has become standard. This is based on the ratio of Japanese to foreign exhibitors and prize winners at international shows like the All Japan show, the decline in entries at local shows, and the reduction in koi club memberships.
However, recently, judging solely based on this information that Japanese Hobbyist are decreasing might be hasty, given that koi-related YouTube videos consistently record thousands, even tens of thousands of views. One wonders if there might actually be a considerable number of people not yet keeping koi but interested, or enthusiasts who keep koi but don’t enter shows or belong to clubs. The existence of people who actively promote the enjoyment and wonder of koi, serving as an entry point for such groups and drawing them deeper into the koi world, should positively impact the industry. While online sellers, including Yahoo Auctions, are a mixed bag, they undoubtedly serve as a receptacle for those who find physical stores intimidating or lack nearby retailers.
Mr. Igari said: “As mentioned earlier, I ship quite a bit to apartments in the Kanto region, so I get the feeling many people keep them in tanks. It feels like koi keepers are being discovered here and there. How to guide these people to the next step – participating in shows – is also a challenge, I suppose. I’m talking with Fujita-san about making videos to encourage show participation.”
Mr. Igari states he is considering joining the promotion association to further professionalize his business. Achievements at koi shows will likely become necessary.
He said：”Sourcing has stabilized, but sales inevitably have peaks and valleys. I can’t rely solely on koi yet, and I’m currently working a dual-job track. But in the future, I hope to buy land, increase the number of greenhouses, and be able to sell locally. To do that, I want to further enhance my YouTube presence and get more people interested in koi.”