Page 22 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 5

TORAZO

‘100 years in the making’ (1917 - 2017)
Martin Symonds of Japan Koi Export (JKX)
finds out how the Kawakami family have
built the Torazo Brand

Martin Symonds has been visiting and buying Koi in
Japan since 1981. Since then he has shipped 10,000’s
of Koi worldwide and 100’s of Koi enthusiasts have
joined him on buying trips in Japan. He started living in
Ojiya City and Mushigame back in 2000, working
closely with the breeders there. Over the last 37 years
his close relationship with the breeders and with
Japanese culture has become unique. He started Japan
Koi Export (JKX) in 2002 with his associate Rene Villela,
they now ship and offer buying trips to dealers and
hobbyists from all over the world who would like to buy
Koi throughout the year with them in Niigata, they run
the popular Koi Masterclass in autumn and later this
year will see them launch KoiVision.Tv, and Martin is
writing his book ‘Carp to Koi’. Martin has always been
fascinated by the breeders’ histories and in this series of
articles writes about how the breeders started and now
run their companies.
In 2017 Urakawa Koi Farm celebrated 100 years in
business, any business that has managed to do that
must be doing something right and I wanted to find out
what that was.
Urakawa Koi Farm is run by Tsuyoshi Kawakami and is
also known simply as ‘Torazo’. His farm is located on
the main road leading into Uragara, which then takes
you up into Yamakoshi and the village of Mushigame. It
is without doubt that this prime location has been
beneficial to the success of the family business.
Tsuyoshi Kawakami san is the 5th generation family
High Grade Torazo
Maruten Kohaku, typical member to be living here and in 2017 his family’s Koi
of the bloodline. business celebrated its 100th year in the Koi business.

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