Niigata University Establishes

“Research Centre for Nishikigoi,” Aiming to Promote Nishikigoi and Address Issues in the Nishikigoi Industry through Multidimensional Research.

In August last year, Niigata University established the ‘Research Centre for Nishikigoi’ to promote the industry and spread knowledge about Nishikigoi.
Researchers from various fields, including the Faculties of Agriculture, Science, and Engineering, are participating in elucidating the mechanisms behind the colours and patterns of Nishikigoi and addressing issues faced by the Nishikigoi industry.
We spoke with Hideo Hasegawa, the centre’s director, three researchers- Koji Fujimura (Faculty of Science), Yasuyo Sakata (Faculty of Agriculture), and Tatsuya Yamazaki (Faculty of Engineering)- and two students who began working on Nishikigoi research this year.

ー Niigata University established the Research Centre for Nishikigoi in August last year, which attracted considerable media attention. Please give some background and an overview of the centre’s establishment.

Hideo Hasegawa: In 2022, Nishikigoi were designated the national fish by the Japan Ornamental Fish Promotion Cooperative. In November, the World Nishikigoi Summit was held in Niigata City. Nishikigoi have also been added to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ list of priority export items in their goal to increase exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. Furthermore, in March 2023, Nishikigoi were selected as one of the eight promoted brands of Niigata Prefecture.

ー Recently, Nishikigoi have been featured more frequently in the news.

Hideo: As interest grows not only in the Niigata Prefecture but nationwide, we at Niigata University, located in the prefecture where Nishikigoi originated, have a desire to contribute to the Nishikigoi industry, which is a distinctive feature of Niigata.
Within the university, researchers from various fields study Nishikigoi, known as swimming jewels, and explore their rich colours from different perspectives. Our goal is to shed light on aspects of Nishikigoi that remain unexplained. In this way, we believe we can increase the attractiveness of the Nishikigoi themselves and promote the region. That is why we have established the Niigata University Research Centre for Nishikigoi.

ー Universities specialising in researching on Nishikigoi are rare in Japan. What initiatives do you undertake?

Hideo: First, we identify koi breeders’ challenges, and then the centre’s members utilise their respective expertise to address them. Each researcher explains their respective findings. Our strength is that we can bring together researchers from different fields. ‘Nishikigoi Studies’ is crucial to systematise and improve koi breeding, which originated in the Niigata Prefecture around 250 years ago, as an academic discipline.

ー You have researchers from various fields participating; I would like to ask about each professor’s area of expertise and their involvement with Nishikigoi at the centre. Let’s start with Yasuyo Sakata, the Associate Professor at the Faculty of Agriculture.

Yasuyo Sakata: I have been residing in Yamakoshi for research for two years. During this time, I have studied and participated in activities related to the ‘Yamakoshi Kogomo Furusato Kai,’ a local revitalisation group, while also serving as an owner of fighting bulls in the community. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Mid Niigata prefecture Earthquake, and in May, the National Bullfighting Summit will be held in Nagaoka City.

ー Have you had any involvement with Nishikigoi during your long-standing engagement with Yamakoshi through bullfighting?

Yasuyo: I often discuss community engagement for regional revitalisation at Niigata University. However, during my previous job at Ishikawa Prefectural University, I researched seismic damage to koi ponds and their restoration, as well as historical changes in their location.
I aim to develop further research on koi ponds by joining the Research Centre for Nishikigoi. As part of my role within the centre, I focus on field interviews to investigate how the local culture and Nishikigoi are closely intertwined.
Professor Hasegawa, also from the Faculty of Agriculture, analyses factors such as water quality and soil composition in natural spring-fed ponds. I aim to portray Nishikigoi as ornamental fish and promote the training of successors through internships in koi breeding involving student participation.

ー Next, I’d like to hear from Assistant Professor Koji Fujimura of the Faculty of Science.

Koji: I conduct research in biology on the embryology and evolution of fish, primarily utilising tropical fish. About half of the roughly 50,000 known vertebrate species are believed to have adapted to aquatic environments. Our research examines body development across a broad spectrum, ranging from ancestral fish to more advanced species.
Last year, Professor Hasegawa approached me with an invitation to join the centre, but until then, I had held the impression that keeping Nishikigoi in the laboratory would be quite challenging.