Breeders’ Interview Maruchiku Koi Farm, Kenji Konishi and Eiji Konishi (Fukuoka)
“Maruchiku Kohaku” Achieves Remarkable Progress in Kyushu.Attracting More Koi Enthusiasts from a Hobbyist’s Perspective (Part 1)
Maruchiku Koi Farm, located in Tajimaru, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, won the overall grand prize at the 32nd Kyushu Regional Comprehensive Koi Competition held in early December, making the name “Maruchiku Kohaku” renowned. Kenji Konishi has been fascinated by koi since childhood and was already a member of the Airin Kai koi club in elementary school, demonstrating his passion for koi.
For 41 years, he has aimed to create koi that are unmistakably “Maruchiku koi.” This determination has been faithfully inherited by his second-generation son, Eiji.
The reduction in wild ponds has led to a shift towards spring water aquaculture. Alt-hough the juvenile fish are growing well, the impact of intense heat remains.
— Congratulations on winning the overall grand champion at the 32nd Kyushu Koi Show (picture①). This is the second time you’ve won the grand champi-onship in three years, following your win in 2021 (picture②).
Kenji Konishi: Thank you. This Kohaku koi is now 7 years old and 86 centimeters long. We’ve been using it as a parent koi for the past 4 years.
— It’s no wonder it’s a parent koi, its body shape is excellent.
Konishi: The pattern is pretty good too, but in our Kohaku koi, its body is the best. This fish has been of high quality since it was a fry, and in recent years it has been raised in spring water. It has changed a lot this summer and grown very fast.
 全体総合優勝 85超部-紅白/小坂-洋充-(福岡)-682x1024.jpg)
Grand Champion
Over 85bu Kohaku / Kosaka Hiromitsu (Fukuoka)
 全体総合優勝 85超部-紅白/田中-耕蔵-(長崎)-683x1024.jpg)
Grand Champion
Over 85bu Kohaku / Tanaka Kozo (Nagasaki)