| A Little Koi History
The Japanese were the first to take the naturally occurring mutations and develop them into Nishikigoi. Japanese rice farmers originally kept them as food fish but somewhere between the 1820s and 1830s, they began to breed some of the carp for aesthetic appeal.
The farmers kept the colorful carp as pets for themselves. As the farmers developed different color types of Koi, interest in Koi spread throughout Niigata Prefecture (similar to a state in the US) and then throughout Japan. National interest for Koi in Japan increased tremendously when Emperor Hirohito was presented Koi for the Imperial Palace moat in 1914. It is no coincidence that the Koi variety "Showa" was developed at that time. Showa was the reign name of the Emperor Hirohito.
Most people involved in the hobby consider the Niigata prefecture in Japan as the birthplace from which the Nishikigoi sprang. More specifically, areas in and around Ojiya City in Niigata are regarded as the home of Nishikigoi. Today there are more than 100 different color varieties of Koi.
Wild carp were called "Koi" in Japan, but the term was also used to describe colored carp. The name Nishikigoi was given to these "colored Koi carp" during World War-II. Today colored carp are simply called Koi and the term has evolved into the common name for them worldwide.
The term Nishikigoi is used as a formal name. Nishikigoi is used to describe them in written text or describing the fish formally to Japanese people who do not have working knowledge of the fish. Still, in Japan, the recognize term is Nishikigoi and some may not be familiar with the term Koi.
THE FIRST KOI
Many people believe that today's Asagi is perhaps most similar to the original colored carp preserved by Japanese farmers. When Asagi are young they may only display the slightest blush of red on the belly but as they mature the red or "Hi" deepens and spreads up the sides and into the fins. Asagi also are noted for their dislike of being handled and may often jump out of the net across the width of the pond. As well they preserve what may be a trait from long ago in that they may jet blood from their gills when stressed. This is a defense mechanism quite like that of the octopus which can jet ink to distract predators.
|
 |
| Click Nishikigoi for history download! |
|
|
 |
| ASAGI |
|
|
From the Asagi, a tremendous amount of experimentation and careful breeding took place until the first of the modern koi varieties were developed. In 1889, Kunizo Hiroi breed the first Kohaku and only a few years later, about 1926 Jukichi Hoshino bred the first Showa. Even before the Showa, the first doitsu or "scaleless" Koi were being bred in Japan. Today, Koi breeding continues but in a multitude of directions. Now most of the important varieties of Koi can befound in either scaled or doitsu forms. As well, Those forms can both be found in Koi with regular fins or long fins. Additionally, new color varieties continue to appear. |
 |
| 2008 All Japan Jumbo Champion |
|
|
|
|
|