The 65th Niigata Nishikigoi Show

Dainichi Kohaku Wins in Two Rounds of Voting

Marudo Koi Farm Claims Director-General’s Award for the First Time in Three Tournaments

As the Koi show season brings excitement nationwide, the 65th Niigata Nishikigoi Show was held over two days, November 8th and 9th, in the breed’s heartland, Niigata.
The venue, the Ojiya Community Plaza, was bathed in clear autumn weather as 469 koi were assembled, submitted by 53 dealers from within the prefecture. Although the number of entries was lower than last year, those involved commented that the level of the submitted koi had significantly improved.
Judging began at 10:45 AM on the first day. The panel was led by Chief Judge Tomoharu Homma, Head of the Niigata Prefecture Fisheries Division, and consisted of three Head Judges: Director Masa Sato of the Prefectural Inland Water Fisheries Experimental Station, Director Masahito Higuchi of the Prefectural Fisheries and Ocean Research Institute, and Masayuki Sekiguchi (Sekiguchi Koi Farm), Vice Head of the Promotion Association’s Niigata District. They were joined by 18 judges recommended by various Koi farming cooperatives within the prefecture and 7 Promotion Association members from outside the prefecture, forming a total of 29 judges organized into 5 teams.
In the voting for the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ Award (Grand Champion), the “Dainichi Kohaku” from the “Over 80 Bu” size class received 14 votes, the “Marudo Kohaku” (also Over 80 Bu) received 9 votes, and 6 votes went to other Koi, forcing a second round of voting. The Dainichi Kohaku significantly increased its count to 23 votes, allowing the farm to inscribe its name on the 65th tournament’s records, avenging last year’s loss by a mere one-vote margin.
This magnificent Kohaku, with its impressive body conformation and beautiful, deep red pattern, is 6 years old, 90 cm long. Its parent koi was wild. It was raised in a natural mud pond until the age of 4 and spent the two years leading up to the award in the main housing facility of the winning farm.
Mr. Ta Manno commented, “This summer was unusually hot, which presented some challenges, but we managed to finish raising it successfully through careful techniques.”
In the subsequent judging for the Reserve Grand Champion (2nd Place Overall), the Marudo Kohaku, which had narrowly lost earlier, secured a majority of 17 votes and claimed the honor of the Fisheries Agency Director-General’s Award. This Koi, also raised in a natural mud pond, is 6 years old and 93 cm long. This marks the first time in three tournaments, since the 62nd show, that Marudo Koi Farm has won the Director-General’s Award.
This tournament also saw the notable rise of younger producers, such as Kanno Koi Farm (Nagaoka City), which won awards in seven different categories.
After the judging concluded and the show opened to the public, the venue quickly filled with visitors. The pool holding the Grand Champion was crowded with people eager to take pictures with their smartphones. Exclamations of surprise could be heard throughout the venue at the vividly colored and unique variant Koi, such as the recently popular Doitsu (scaleless) Koi, which are characteristic of this production region.
The second day was overcast, a contrast to the previous day, but from the 8 AM opening, many enthusiasts from within and outside the prefecture visited. The award ceremony started at 11 AM. However, heavy rain began in the early afternoon, somewhat dampening the lively atmosphere and leading to the show’s closure.