Yamakoshi

Collection of 14 mountain settlements in Niigata where two distinct traditions have survived for centuries. The first is tsunotsuki, or bullfighting, in which bulls are pitted against each other in strength contests that always end in a draw to avoid injury and preserve community harmony. Of nine places in Japan that still practice this, Yamakoshi is one. The second is nishikigoi, the breeding of decorative colored carp, which began in the early 19th century when a red-patterned fish was discovered among a stock of plain black carp. Selective breeding since then has produced around 100 pattern variations. About 90 of Nagaoka's 150 commercial nishikigoi breeders operate in Yamakoshi. The terraced rice fields and koi ponds are especially photogenic in early summer evenings.