Store Interview: Sapporo Kinsui (Hokkaido) – Kazuhiro Takahashi
Hokkaido Koi lovers Supported for 45 Years
Self-produced as the Mainstay, Performing Well at koi show〈Part2〉
For Koi Lover in Hokkaido, Sapporo Kinsui is an indispensable presence. As the oldest specialty store in the region, it has remained a reliable dealer.
The turning point for its traditional business model of purchasing and selling koi came around 2006. Sensing a shift in the enthusiast demographic, owner Takahashi Hiroaki began raising tosai in wild ponds across Hokkaido to offer high-quality koi at more affordable prices. The results exceeded expectations, prompting a shift toward in-house production. Today, 80% of the koi sold are self-producedkoi, and with second-generation owner Takahashi Kazuhiro further refining their techniques, the quality has improved to the point of consistently ranking high in koi show.
On May 19, the day after the Hokkaido Nishikigoi Show, we visited Sapporo Kinsui and also stopped by a wild pond in Tobetsu Town, where preparations for rearing were underway.
The joy of appreciating koi over the past year
Continue to explore other varieties in the future.
― You originally had a different job, right? When did you start helping with the koi work?
Takahashi: About 20 years ago, I think. The first time I went to the All Japan Koi Show was probably when Mr. Fujiki won the Grand Champion(40th).
― Is this alongside your main job?
Takahashi: I was working in interior decoration, but I quit that for a while and worked with my dad for about seven years. After that, I started helping out a bit with interior decoration again. But now, I’m completely focused on koi. My dad has been doing it since way back, but for me, it was a completely unknown world. I left home early.
― Did you not used to be interested?
Takahashi: Not at all. When I was a kid, I thought our family was rich because we had so many koi. Turns out, that wasn’t the case at all. I started getting into it after my younger brother, who was supposed to take over, passed away.
― How do you feel after working with koi?
Takahashi: I started to enjoy it after a year. At first, I couldn’t understand at all why my father and younger brother were so passionate about it.

Nishikigoi Show
40bu Champion

Nishikigoi Show
25bu Champion

Nishikigoi Show
40bu Champion