Many think of Tokyo, being in Japan, and equate an architectural style more reminiscent of 'Old' Japan. The reality is that Tokyo is a modern city, rebuilt extensively after World War II. While Tokyo does still hold onto some it's Edo Period, pre-war heritage especially at Temples and Shrines for the most part it sets trends for modern design.

Ninna-Ji Temple Kyoto, Japan is a Buddhist temple in north-west Kyoto. Ninna-Ji has a historical relationship with the Imperial Family of Japan.

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.

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.

High on the forested slopes of Mount Mitaki, northwest of central Hiroshima, stands Mitaki-dera: Hiroshima's Mountain Temple, and one of western Japan’s most atmospheric Buddhist temples.

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.

This is The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT), one of Japan’s largest exhibition spaces, and a very different kind of national museum.

Every autumn in Japan’s koi-breeding regions, the quiet mud ponds begin to come alive. Koi breeders—farmers in their own right—walk the mud-pond banks before sunrise, checking on their prized Nishikigoi and the condition of the ponds themselves.

Mud ponds are not ornamental. They are working agricultural ponds designed to grow koi the way rice fields grow crops: slowly, naturally, and with deep knowledge of the land.

The Portland Japanese Garden and koi pond combine, causing visitors to linger, captivated by the colors and calm movement of the fish.

Explore the Japanese tradition of Azukari: at Narita Koi Farm—where prized Nishikigoi remain under expert care, nurtured in Japan’s finest koi facilities until they reach their full potential.

In this interview with Manabu Ogata: Japanese Koi Master, we see why Japan, the birthplace of Nishikigoi, remains the center of excellence for the finest koi in the world.