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Join us on a visual and documentary journey into the traditions of Japanese Gardens, Koi and Culture.
Featured Posts
The Pagoda in a Japanese Garden
Kevin Warren
November 6, 2026
Explore the history of Japanese garden pagodas, the five elements of the gorintō and the Buddhist traditions behind Japan’s stone towers.
TRAVEL NOTES
Following Japan’s Autumn Color in 2026
When following Japan’s autumn color in 2026, for photography, you’re not looking for a single perfect date. You need to understand where the season usually begins, how it progresses across Japan and what the coming weather might change.
Japan’s New Supreme Class Shinkansen
Japan’s New Supreme Class Shinkansen is not a separate train. It is a new top-tier accommodation being introduced by Central Japan Railway—JR Central—and West Japan Railway on select 16-car N700S trains operating along the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen between Tokyo and Hakata.
Riverside Café Muni, Kyoto
Riverside Café Muni, Kyoto offers a refined yet relaxed dining experience. The café overlooks the historic Togetsukyo Bridge and the surrounding natural beauty of Arashiyama
New Accommodation Tax in Kyoto
New Accommodation Tax in Kyoto: March 1, 2026
JAPANESE GARDENS
The Pagoda in a Japanese Garden
Explore the history of Japanese garden pagodas, the five elements of the gorintō and the Buddhist traditions behind Japan’s stone towers.
Nisaku Tools by Japanese Craftsmen
In the world of Japanese gardens, many things are discussed, scrutinized and copied, but the tools used to create them often go overlooked.
Nisaku Tools by Japanese Craftsmen marks a beginning for Koi Waters Online Magazine as we set out to look at the well-crafted tools used by master gardeners in Japan and around the world.
Shakkei in Kyoto
Discover how Entsuji, Shodenji, Tenryu-ji, and Murin-an use shakkei to make distant mountains essential parts of Japanese garden design.
The Hori Hori Knife
Explore the history, uses, care and leading Japanese makers of the Hori Hori Knife, a
precise digging and weeding tool for Japanese gardens.
KOI BREEDERS
Koi Breeding at Ogata Koi Farm
Koi Breeding At Ogata Koi Farm in Kyushu, Japan, begins with carefully selected parent Koi and millions of newly hatched fry. By autumn, only a fraction remain.
Kevin Warren
6 min read
From Mushigame to the World: TAKO•Maru Trading and the Quiet Work of Koi Trust
Sitting at almost the highest point in Yamakoshi, TakoMaru Trading belongs to this landscape as a modern bridge, a koi trading and export business bringing Japanese koi to the world
Kevin Warren
5 min read
Yamakoshi Mushigame is Koi Genesis
Yamakoshi Mushigame is Koi Genesis because from those same ponds came Yamakoshi’s other world‑shaping legacy, nishikigoi—aka koi. Japanese Koi Farms began here in Yamakoshi.
Kevin Warren
2 min read
Japanese Koi Breeder Harvest Auctions
For koi dealers, brokers, passionate collectors, and investors, the autumn harvest auctions at Japan’s top breeder farms mark one of the most anticipated chapters of the year.
Kevin Warren
3 min read
KOI PONDS
Herb Fritch: Building a Private World of Koi
Herb Fritch’s serious koi journey began with a late-night Google search during COVID-19. It grew into 47 ponds, major show victories around the world, costly construction lessons and a new phase of experienced leadership with Duc Nguyen. Herb Fritch: Building a Private World of Koi
Kevin Warren
9 min read
Herb Fritch: Conservation Ranching and Aviculture
Long before champion koi became part of his story, Herb Fritch invested his time and resources in birds, rare hoofed animals, conservation breeding, and fishing. His path from private collector and traveling angler to partner and owner reflects a life guided by curiosity, responsibility, and the pursuit of living jewels. Herb Fritch Conservation Ranching and Aviculture
Kevin Warren
10 min read
Herb Fritch: From Actuary to HealthSpring's $3.8 Billion Sale
Herb Fritch began as an actuary, moved through managed-care operations and physician-group management, then helped turn a struggling Nashville HMO into HealthSpring. By 2012, Cigna had acquired the company for approximately $3.8 billion. The public record reveals both the scale of the sale and the more precise story of Fritch's own financial outcome. Herb Fritch HealthSpring
Kevin Warren
9 min read
The Portland Japanese Garden Koi Pond
The Portland Japanese Garden and koi pond combine, causing visitors to linger, captivated by the colors and calm movement of the fish.
Kevin Warren
6 min read
TRAVEL
Bull Sumo in Ojiya
Ushi no Tsunotsuki, often called Bull Sumo In Ojiya, brings two bulls together in a contest of strength under the watch of handlers known as seko. In Ojiya, the customary outcome is a draw. Knowing when and how to separate the animals is an essential part of the tradition.
Kevin Warren
5 min read
Japan Bans Power Banks on Airplanes
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has moved to ban the in‑flight use of portable power banks from April 2026, after repeated incidents of mobile batteries smoking or catching fire during flights.
Kevin Warren
4 min read
Tokyo’s Kitchen Tsukiji Outer Market
Today, Tokyo's Kitchen, Tsukiji Outer Market still describes itself as Japan’s “Food Town,” where wholesale and retail shops share the streets with restaurants, and where new culinary trends are “born” in the middle of old routines.
Kevin Warren
6 min read
Silk on the Sidewalk: Kyoto’s Kimono Rentals
By late morning in Higashiyama, the transformation is already underway. Silk on the Sidewalk: Kyoto’s Kimono Rentals are marked by a row of sandals sat at the entrance of a kimono rental shop like punctuation marks.
Kevin Warren
5 min read
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