The harvest takes place in a mud-bottomed manmade pond of 750,000 gallons high in the mountains of Niigata. In May 120 Tosai (1-year-old koi that are 9"-12" long) are introduced to the pond. Fed by an automatic feeder throughout the summer, they're carefully harvested in October. The photos and captions that follow will show you how the harvest went.

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Here's the mudpond. Notice that the water level has been lowered to a depth that allows a seine net to reach the bottom. The lines crisscrossing the water are wires to keep out predatory birds.

Tsuyoshi, accompanied by his wife Takako and his father Hiroshi, arrive with trucks containing tanks for the fish and the supplies they'll use for harvesting.

Yep, that's a little pink kiddie wading pool. In a while it will be used to contain the koi.

They take a seine net and slowly work it around the perimeter of the pond. Hiroshi takes the left side of the net.

Takako removes a damaged bird wire

Tsuyoshi takes the right side of the net. With lead weights on the bottom and floats on the top, the net is very heavy.

Gradually, the koi get penned into a smaller and smaller area. (Story continues on next page)