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A Visit
to Master Akira Sekiya-san�s Farm |
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Chang seen here with Sekiya-san, his wife and close friend Sato-san |
Nestled below the foothills
of the mountain ranges surrounding Tochigi prefecture, is Mr. Akira
Sekiya�s serene Ranchu farm and hideaway, complete with its own
water storage systems and a collection of almost 40 cement ponds.
Akira was a bus driver in Tokyo before he retired to pursue his
passion of breeding Ranchus full time, more than 15 years ago.
Tochigi prefecture is
located north of Saitama and it�s a 2 hour drive from Tokyo. The
meandering mountain road leading to his farm is breathtaking! The
mountain air and tranquility of its surrounding valleys is
very refreshing compared to the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo.
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Akira
Sekiya is a patron of the Hanyu Red Fish Association headed by the
famous breeder Nakajima-san (famous for his uno Ranchus). A humble
and quiet man, Sekiya-san perfects his trade and breeding techniques
by using only natural resources such as mountain water, getting up
at 3.00 am during the breeding season to hunt down live mijinko
(water fleas) for his Kurokos (black baby ranchus), and other live
foods. He believes in doing it the �old fashioned� way.
Sekiya�s fishes are famous
for its trademark �heart� tail. The tail shapes like a heart when
the fish is swimming, very much like a seagull�s wing folded in
flight. It is soft and fluttery, thus gives a very elegant swimming
posture.
After liaising with Sekiya-san for more than one and a half
years, our club managed to bring in the first batch of Sekiya�s
baby Kurokos into Singapore recently. Some of us are privileged
to own the kurokos from this dedicated breeder as it is the
first time Sekiya-san has ever exported any of his fishes
overseas.
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Sekiya-san�s
prized seed fishes |
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This oya is one of
Sekiya-san�s
finest collections.
It has won East Ozeki,
3 times in a row!! |
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An example
of a �heart� tail |
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�What do you think Ron-san?� �These are
the best Tosais!� |
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Sekiya-san is a
perfectionist. His housekeeping habits are exemplary.
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Sekiya-san
is renowned for his professionalism and integrity in his trade. Here
is one breeder who �talks� to his fishes before be bags them for
shipment. He is very attached to all the little creatures that he
bred.
If you wish to learn more from us, please visit our
website
for regular updates as well as emailing us at
[email protected]
whenever you have any queries.
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