In another thread it was stated it takes a minimum of 2k to 3k to visit Japan on a fishing excursion.
So lets say you have an "IN" with someone that will take you into the private sector of Niigata to visit some of the breeders. Let's say you even have a stack of thousand dollar bills to drop on some koi!
What is the best time to go? I would love to be in Niigata around the time they are harvesting the mud ponds!
I would also love to be there in the dead of winter when the banks of the streets are six feet deep in snow! Visiting the green houses in the dead of winter would be awesome in the true sense of the word AWESOME.
Which time season would you choose to visit as your first visit?
It would be nice to do some additional touring of say some bonsai gardens, karate studios, hot sushi spots, experience a real Japanese shiatsu, get a tattoo of a DRAGON, consume much saki and other Japanese cultural experiences.
Not including the cost of purchasing koi, what would be a dollar figure goal a person should stash for a trip to Japan?
Looking forward to the different feedback.