Yamakoshi Winter Adventure

High in the Yamakoshi Mountains of Niigata Prefecture, winter wraps the landscape in silence. Here, in the secluded village of Yamakoshimushigame, tradition runs as deep as the snowdrifts. Among its winding roads and steep hillsides, a handful of Koi breeders continue a legacy centuries in the making. At the top of Yamakoshimushigame, Marushin Koi Farm looks out over the village that began the legacy of Nishikigoi as we know it today. To an unfamiliar eye, the mud ponds might resemble abandoned rice paddies, but to those who know, they are the summer home of living jewels. If you are in Niigata Prefecture during winter months be certain to create your own Yamakoshi Winter Adventure.

Aerial flyover of Yamakoshimushigame from the Marushin Koi Farm. Video: Kevin Warren