Greg, your story beautifully captures how koi can transform both space and spirit. From childhood memories at the Pagoda Hotel to building a family pond during the pandemic, your journey reflects the healing and joy koi bring into our lives. Through both heartbreak and new beginnings, your bond with your koi—and the art that now honors them—shows deep respect and love for these living jewels. We’re truly grateful to be part of your evolving story.
Thank you for sharing your heart with us as we proudly celebrate 25 years of Kodama Koi Farm.
Customer Story By: Greg M.
“When I was young, my family would go to Honolulu every summer. We stayed at the Pagoda Hotel and enjoyed viewing the koi there.
A strange thing happened in 2019 as Covid descended on the world. I contacted Dean of Koi Fish and Ponds to help us get started with our family pandemic koi pond project. The pond was less than 1000 gallons but had a sloping waterfall feature and a rock garden. Dean provided us with three 8” koi, a Hi Utsuri, a Shusui, and a Goromo. They were so friendly, and we were shocked that they ate from our hands and let us pet them! Our new fish friends made this unfortunate time of our lives fun and enjoyable.
There are five of us in the family so we added two more fish so each could name one. Our next koi were a 8” Ki Matsuba and a large Ogon, which became the centerpiece of the pond with it’s size and bright white color. It liked to jump and once jumped out of the pond when we were cleaning it!
We spent months going to various stores and nurseries to pick out pots, decorative rocks, pavers, a stone bench, bamboo, water lilies, reeds, and other types of plants.
Sadly, disaster struck one day. I hurriedly flushed the filter and left to go somewhere. When I returned home, all the water had been pumped out of the pond because I left the filter handle in the wrong position. This was one of the worst moments of my life! I tried for 45 minutes to revive the koi but to no avail.
We contacted Shane Hamamoto and he agreed to make a Gyotaku print of the koi from the top view like we see them in the pond. We now have a beautiful gyotaku print of our fish friends in our living room.
The family picked out a Showa, Ginrin Ogon, Kujyaku, Ginrin Karashi, and a Shiro Utsuri. The Showa is pretty interesting. It had two long black bands along each of the sides with a red, white, and black top. After a while, the black bands grew together and now it’s just black on the top. We are excited to see if this koi continues to change!”
CUSTOMER’S GALLERY : GREG M.
VIDEO GALLERY : GREG M.
Celebrating 25 Years of Kodama Koi Farm: A Legacy of Passion, Tradition, and Excellence
As we celebrate 25 years of Kodama Koi Farm, we extend our deepest gratitude to our loyal customers, partners, and dedicated team.
Your trust and support have been the foundation of our success, and we are honored to have you as part of the Kodama family. Every koi we deliver carries our passion and commitment, but it is your dedication to this beautiful art that keeps the koi community thriving. Learn more.
Ginrin Soragoi – koi #y0714s030
Kohaku – koi #y0619s008-re
Doitsu Orange Ogon – koi #y0619s005-re
Taisho Sanke – koi #y0618s013
