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A bit of History
INPC (International
Nishikigoi Promotion Center)
Mr. Takeo Kuroki, founder and first
chairman
of
Zen Nippon Airinkai, defines Nishikigoi as
follows: Nishikigoi is a
generic term for Koi which have colors and patches and are raised for
appreciation.
The historical origins of Nishikigoi are as follows: 200 years ago in Niigata Prefecture's
Yamakoshi Village and the
surrounding areas, the farm-raised edible Koi started mutating.
Some of
the breeders noticed, on rare occasions, Koi with red and yellow
patches. From
this point they started to breed these colored Koi. In the Meiji Era, the phrase beautiful
Koi
was widely used and made the rounds among the people and so varieties
such as Kohaku were developed.
The
Taisho Exposition was held in the 3rd year of the Taisho Era (1914),
which is when Nishikigoi started to become more popular in society.
The varieties produced and established in the Taisho Era are Taisho
Sanshoku, Shiro Utsuri, Ki Utsuri, and Asagi. In the Showa Era (1925)
Showa Sanshoku, Kin Uchiwa, Gin Uchiwa, and Kin Kabuto were produced.
After
the war, breed improvement was temporarily suspended, but with
the introduction of Nezu Ogon, the Hikarimono variety was produced
leading to the golden age of Nishikigoi. The creation of the Doitsu
lineage with varieties such as Shusui, crossbreeds of German Carp and
Nishikigoi, and of the Ogon variety, played a prominent role in todays
Nishikigoi development.
There are over 100 different varieties of
Nishikigoi,
including the fixed variety and their variations.INPC specifies 26 as
fixed varieties and other crossbred varieties are called variations.
Below are the accepted varieties that are considered fixed. Click on the Gallery link to view ALL varieties that are available in the world of Koi today.
Kohaku |
Taisho
Sanshoku |
Showa
Sanshoku |
Tancho |
Usturi
mono
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Bekko |
Aka
Matsuba |
Asagi |
Shusui |
Koromo |
Goshiki |
Kujaku |
Gin
Matsuba
|
Ogon |
Platinum |
Hariwake |
Yamato
Nishiki
|
Kin Showa |
Kin
Ki Utsuri
|
Kikusui |
Chagoi |
Ochiba
Shigure
|
Benigoi |
Kigoi |
Karasugoi |
Kumonryu |
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