KOI

Hisashi Hirasawa of Niigata Prefecture, Japan, gets some help from his wife Yoshie as they transfer a 3-year-old Showa sankei to an individual viewing tank in preparation for this weekend’s koi (carp) seminar on Kawaihau Road in Kapa’a starting Friday and running through Sunday afternoon.

Hirasawa is one of about 130 koi breeders that live in the Niigata Prefecture that belong to the Zenippon Nishikigoi Shinko Kai, an association of koi breeders who promote the science of koi, the national fish of Japan. The association totals about 600 breeders from around Japan. An all-Japan show and competition is hosted by the association in January attended by koi aficionados from around the world, making this the largest gathering of koi enthusiasts anywhere.

In the background, koi dealer Kaz Takeda from Gardena, California enjoys the morning sunshine. Takeda was involved in getting the koi transported from Japan for the koi gathering this weekend in Kapa’a. According to Takeda, the fish had to be shipped from Japan to California before arriving on Kaua’i. The initial leg of the fishes’ journey took almost 24 hours with the fish being shipped in special containers. Once in Kapa’a, the Japanese fish are held in special saline solutions to help them reduce the stress of the long journey as well as to keep any injuries from getting infected.

The tri-colors involved in this specimen are black, red, and white. The Showa title indicates the lineage of this fish which goes back to the Showa era between 1920-29. Hirasawa, a breeder from Niigata Prefecture, Japan traced the background of the koi as it started out as a black fish swimming in the rice paddies in Niigata. The koi is the national fish of Japan, and according to Hirasawa, can grow up to a meter in length.

Anyone interested in attending the event, should look for the koi banners along Kawaihau Road starting from Kapahi Park.