The 15th Gunma Prefecture Young Koi Show

April 13, 2025
Venue : Shinkawa Park

On this day, the spring weather of the previous day took a turn for the worse, with rain and wind blowing, and the Gunma Prefecture Young Koi Show was held at Shinkawa Park (Kiryu City), where koi up to 60 cm in length competed.

Three judges, Suguru Wada (Wada Koi Farm), Hidemasa Hirasawa (Nishikimaruhide Koi Farm), and Chikara Nogami (Nogami Koi Farm), were invited from Niigata to judge the 138 entries while being pelted by rain.

The Grand Champion was a 60bu Kohaku entered by Isamu Ishizuka, who won the Grand Champion for the first time.

Grand Champion
60bu Kohaku/Isamu Ishizuka
Mr. Hiroshi Kawashima of Kawashima Nishikigoi received the award on behalf of Mr. Isamu Ishizuka, who was absent.
Prefectural Fish Grand Award
55bu Ginrin Showa/Hiroyasu Nakajima

This koi is a 3-year-old, 60 cm long koi bred by Okayama Momotaro Koi, purchased as a Tosai from Kawashima Nishikigoi (Isesaki City) and entrusted to the farm for breeding. Unfortunately, Mr. Ishizuka was unable to attend, so his handler, Kawashima Nishikigoi, accepted the award on his behalf.

The Prefectural Fish Grand Prize, awarded to the best Koi outside of the Gosanke, went to Hiroyasu Nakajima’s 55bu Ginrin Showa (produced by Nagoshi Koi Farm, Toyama).

Shinkawa Park, the venue for the show, is bustling with families on weekends, and during the Koi show, children and adults alike enjoy viewing the Nishikigoi. Unfortunately, the weather did not improve during this year’s show, and it was closed early.

Judging by three judges invited from Niigata: Suguru Wada, Hidemasa Hirasawa, and Chikara Nogami.