The 1st World Nishikigoi Show

Yuan Jiandong is the First Champion with Dainichi Kohaku

1,246 Nishikigoi from 17 countries and regions compete in a showcase of Beauty

The historic 1st World Nishikigoi Show, organized by the General Incorporated Association World Nishikigoi Club (WNC) and led by Chairman Kentaro Sakai of Sakai Fish Farm was held on November 23 and 24 at the Mihara City Arts & Culture Centre Popolo in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The World Nishikigoi Club is a new organization consisting of Nishikigoi hobbyists and related businesses worldwide. It has garnered significant attention for its remarkable scale, which is rare in recent years, and for having renowned Nishikigoi dealers serving as its executives.
“In Pursuit of the Ultimate 85” is the central theme of the World Nishikigoi Club, established in 2024. The meaning of “85” is, of course, the length of the koi. Unlike other national koi shows where koi over 1 meter compete for the championship, setting the upper limit at 85 centimetres for this koi show was made to expand opportunities for many hobbyists. The length categories are set in irregular 5 cm increments, with the following divisions after 12 cm being 17 cm and 22 cm, which might seem unconventional from a traditional perspective (with a 3 cm gap between 82 cm and 85 cm). The male koi category starts at 47 cm. The variety categories are based on the divisions of the All Japan Koi Show, with an additional category for Ginrin Muji, bringing the total to 23 varieties. The Diamond Award, Emerald Award, Ruby Award, Cat’s Eye Award, and Sapphire Award, each named after a precious gem, were introduced as counterparts to the Miyabi Award, Sakura Award, Tsubaki Award, and Botan Award of the All Japan Koi Show. This brings the total number of awards to one more than at the All Japan Koi Show. The inaugural event, full of fresh elements, began with judging at 9 AM on the 23rd.
The judges were organized into eight groups, each consisting of five members. They were composed of members of the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association, certified judges from the ZNA, WNC overseas members, and hobbyists invited by WNC. The decision to recruit judges widely from various sources, rather than limiting them to specific organizations, was made to enhance the transparency and fairness of the judging process.
In typical koi shows, the overall champion would be selected first, but the judging began with the small koi this time. The indoor space, “Foyer,” where the bagged koi were displayed, was also set to host the award ceremony and social gathering later that evening, so the timing was arranged accordingly to allow for the necessary setup.
Once the small koi was judged smoothly, the ‘Second Round,’ leading to the selection of the champion, began. The exhibition pools were set up in an area typically used as the facility’s parking lot. Occasionally stopping, forty judges carefully examined the koi to cast their votes.
Once all the votes were cast, the results were tallied. In the end, four koi received votes, with the top two — an 82-bu Kohaku and an 85-bu Taisho Sanshoku — advancing to the final round of voting. Which koi would emerge as the champion among the 1,246 koi?
The first champion was an 82-bu Kohaku, bred by Dainichi Koi Farm and exhibited by Yuan Jiandong (China). At 5 years old and 81 cm, its parent koi was “Red Tiger.” Sanshin Trading purchased the koi in October 2022 at 69 cm, and it was sold to Yuan (Suxin Koi Farm) at 3 years old. At the 54th All Japan Koi Show in 2024, it won the Miyabi Award in the 75-bu category.
The main reason this koi received the highest praise is undoubtedly its flawless beauty. Its glossy, thick, and transparent red gracefully covers the well-balanced body, and despite being 82-bu, it was the overall winner of the competition, which many would agree was a well-deserved result. Even Kentaro Sakai, one of the founding members of the WNC who approached this inaugural koi show with extraordinary determination, remarked, When I saw that koi delivered, I thought that the koi would defeat them all.

The 85-bu Taisho Sanke (exhibited by Tan Peng Hwat, bred by Sakai and handled by Narita Koi Farms) placed second overall in the koi show. On the other hand, the 85-bu Taisho Sanshoku (exhibited by Lian Yunzeng, bred by Sakai and handled by Narita Koi Farm), which received the third-highest number of votes in the first round, placed third overall.
The overall champion B, awarded to the best koi outside of the “Gosanke,” was decided to be the 85-bu Kujaku (exhibited by Yohanes Jusuf, bred by Omosako Koi Farm and handled by Narita Koi Farms), which received the majority of votes in the first round. The 85-bu Tancho (exhibited by Benedict Campos, bred by Isa Koi Farm and handled by Narita Koi Farm), which was also a candidate, was awarded the Cat’s Eye Grand Award.
The judging, divided into groups, was completed around 2 PM. In the prize pool area, koi show officials, exhibitors and many people who were spending their holiday at Popolo gathered, and cheers could be heard from all around.
At 6 PM, the award ceremony was held in the Foyer. This koi show had the ceremony in two parts, on the 23rd and 24th, with this day as the first part. The awards presented included the Diamond Award, Emerald Award, Ruby Award, Cat’s Eye Award, Sapphire Award, and the Best in Category Award. True to the cutting-edge nature of the event, the certificates were notably different from the typical ones, with a luxurious finish and colours inspired by the respective gemstones. The simple, horizontally written text likely considered many foreign winners.