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History of koi

By the koi.wiki editorial team · Updated

Key facts: The history of koi (錦鯉, nishikigoi) traces selective breeding of color-mutant food carp in the Niigata snow country during the late Edo period to today's global export industry, with the Tokyo Taisho Exposition of 1914 marking the moment koi gained nationwide recognition[1][2].
Nishikigoi (錦鯉) descend from the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that Niigata farmers originally kept as a food source to survive the region's heavy winter snows[1][4]. Systematic breeding of ornamental Amur carp is said to have begun in the 1820s in the area known as Nijūmuragō (二十村郷), spanning present-day Ojiya and Yamakoshi in Niigata Prefecture[2]. Sudden color and pattern mutations appearing among black carp are considered the origin point of the variety, with villagers subsequently refining these mutations through generations of trial-and-error selection[1].During the Bunka and Bunsei eras (1804–1830), Niigata breeders produced red and white koi in addition to black koi and crossed them to create red-and-white patterned fish, further refining the result over time[2]. Japanese-language historical sources also document isolated mentions of colored carp in other regions, including a three-colored carp recorded at Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu around 1900, though these are regarded as naturally occurring mutations rather than the deliberately bred lineages developed in Nijūmuragō[5]. The name Nishikigoi itself is said to have been given during the Taisho era by Kei Abe, chief fisheries officer of the Niigata Prefectural Government, after he admired the newly fixed Taisho Sanshoku[2].

The 1914 Tokyo Taisho Exposition

The Tokyo Taisho Exposition of 1914 (Taisho 3), held in Ueno Park, is described by the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association (JNPA) as a significant moment in the nationwide recognition of nishikigoi[1]. The four-month event drew approximately 7.5 million visitors, and around twenty koi — then still called “kawarigoi” — were exhibited, earning a silver medal[1]. According to Wikipedia, the exhibit was organized by a “Koi Exhibit Association” formed mainly by breeders from Higashiyama and Takezawa villages, and at the time the fish were described as “colored carp” or “patterned carp,” noted as “the first of their kind ever seen in the Tokyo area”[2][6].After the exposition closed, eight koi were presented to the Crown Prince, later Emperor Showa, who was reported to be very fond of nishikigoi[1][2]. The exhibition triggered an expansion of sales channels and a sharp rise in the market value of koi[2]. In 1917, Taisho Sanshoku, bred by Eizaburo Hoshino, was fixed as a breed, and the fixation of Kohaku — first produced in the 1880s, according to Wikipedia — was also assured that same year, credited to Kunizo Hiroi[2][7]. A commercial source, Kodama Koi Farm, states that Kohaku is the oldest of the Gosanke varieties, emerging in the late 19th century, while Taisho Sanke followed during the Taisho era and Showa Sanshoku was introduced during the Showa period[8].

Edo-period origins in Niigata

The JNPA states that the birth of nishikigoi dates back over 200 years, to the late Edo period, in the Nijūmuragō area now corresponding to Yamakoshi in Nagaoka City and the eastern part of Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture[1]. This region was described as a “landlocked island,” isolated by heavy winter snowfall, conditions that encouraged breeding of crucian carp for food security during winter[1]. Ojiya City's own tourism information likewise dates the first appearance of nishikigoi to the early 19th century, during the Bunka and Bunsei eras, when color mutations appeared among food carp in Nijūmuragō and were subsequently refined by mountain-village breeders over generations[9]. Ojiya states it currently produces about 45% of koi within Niigata Prefecture[9].According to Wikipedia, carp were also farmed in terraced ponds near rice paddies in the Nijūmuragō area by at least 1781, though a severe drought caused the ponds to run dry, and surviving carp took refuge in shrine ponds at Senryu Shrine and Juni Shrine[2]. Separately, Shūsui (秋翠) was created in 1906 by Tokyo goldfish breeder Kichigoro Akiyama, who crossed a female German leather carp with a male Japanese Asagi or spotted carp; the low-scaled leather and mirror carp imported from Germany in 1904 became known in Japan as Doitsugoi[2][10]. Showa Sanshoku was fixed as a breed in 1927 by Shigekichi Hoshino, and in 1939 koi were exhibited at the Japanese pavilion of the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco[2].

Postwar organizations and shows

According to the JNPA's own institutional history, preparations for the first All Japan Nishikigoi Show began with a preparatory committee established in July 1968, and the first show was held that December, sponsored by the Niigata Koi Association[3]. The All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association was formally established in January 1970, when the second All Japan Koi Show was held under its sponsorship, and the organization went on to hold recurring annual shows, reaching the 50th All Japan Nishikigoi Show in February 2019[3].The JNPA's history records other milestones, including the opening of the Koi Promotion Center in Ojiya in October 1981, launch of the organization's magazine “Gekkan Nishikigoi” in 1991, and placement of koi in the courtyard pool of the chairman of Japan's House of Representatives in 2001 and again in 2012[3]. The 36th All Japan Nishikigoi Show was canceled in 2004 due to a koi herpesvirus (KHV) outbreak, the same year an earthquake struck Chuetsu in Niigata and caused serious damage to the koi production area[3]. Shows were also disrupted by the 2011 East Japan earthquake and by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the All Japan Young Koi Show and International Junior Koi Show were canceled[3].

Koi as a national fish and export product

In May 2017, nishikigoi was designated the “Ornamental fish of Niigata,” according to the JNPA's institutional timeline[3]. In February 2022, the main terms related to nishikigoi, along with the names and definitions of 21 basic varieties, were standardized as part of the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS)[1][3]. In October 2022, nishikigoi was certified as Japan's “National Fish” by the Japan Ornamental Fish Promotion Business Association, and the following month a World Nishikigoi Summit was held at TOKI MESSE in Niigata[3]. In December 2022, the Japanese government added koi as a key export species[3]. The JNPA states that nishikigoi has become an essential component of the “Japanese brand” and a critical export item, with over 150 varieties now appreciated in Japan and worldwide[1]. A secondary source, the Japanese-language Wikipedia article, similarly describes the JNPA (全日本錦鯉振興会) as positioning nishikigoi as Japan's national fish[5].

Spread beyond Japan

According to Wikipedia, koi are a symbol of luck, prosperity, and perseverance in Japan and are closely associated with Japanese national identity, a status reflected in the custom of koinobori (carp streamers) flown for Children's Day on May 5, a practice dating to the Edo period[2]. Koi have also become popular in China, where they are associated with fame, family harmony, and wealth in feng shui tradition, and the keeping of koi in outdoor water gardens has grown among affluent Chinese since the late 20th century[2]. Wikipedia notes a growing number of koi bred in China from Japanese stock that are sold domestically and exported abroad, alongside continued importation of koi from Niigata[2]. Koi are also described as popular in equatorial countries with outdoor water gardens, including Sri Lanka[2]. The Japanese-language Wikipedia article notes that Japanese companies retail nishikigoi in the United States, where enthusiasts are numerous, and that businesses in China breed and sell koi imported from Japan[5].

Earlier background: carp in Japan before nishikigoi

Carp themselves have a much longer history in Japan than ornamental nishikigoi. According to the Japanese-language Wikipedia article, carp pharyngeal teeth have been excavated from Jomon- and Yayoi-period archaeological sites, and the ancient chronicle Nihon Shoki records Emperor Keikō watching carp in a pond[5]. Edo-period texts document carp of varying colors, including an account from 1697 noting carp in red, yellow, and white, and a record from 1792 of a large yellow carp caught near Lake Biwa[5]. These early single-colored carp are regarded by this source as naturally occurring mutations rather than deliberately bred ornamental lines, since color inheritance was unstable and selective breeding was costly for subsistence food farming[5].

Entries in this section

Common questions

When did nishikigoi breeding begin?
The JNPA dates the birth of nishikigoi to over 200 years ago in the late Edo period[1], while Wikipedia places the start of systematic breeding of ornamental Amur carp in the 1820s in the Nijūmuragō area of Niigata Prefecture[2].
What happened at the 1914 Tokyo Taisho Exposition?
Around twenty koi, then called “kawarigoi” or “colored carp,” were exhibited in Ueno Park and won a silver medal, after which eight were presented to the future Emperor Showa, triggering expanded sales and rising market value[1][2].
When was koi certified as Japan's national fish?
Nishikigoi was certified as the National Fish by the Japan Ornamental Fish Promotion Business Association in October 2022, according to the JNPA's institutional history[3].
How did koi become an export priority for Japan?
In December 2022 the Japanese government added koi as a key export species, following the October 2022 national fish certification and the 2017 designation of nishikigoi as the ornamental fish of Niigata[3].
Where did the Gosanke varieties originate?
Kohaku, Taisho Sanke, and Showa Sanshoku all trace to the Niigata region, with Kohaku fixed first in the late 19th century, Taisho Sanke during the Taisho era, and Showa introduced during the Showa period, according to the dealer Kodama Koi Farm[8]; Wikipedia dates the formal fixation of Taisho Sanshoku and Kohaku both to 1917[2].

References

  1. ^ The Birth and History of Nishikigoi - All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. jnpa.info/en/nishikigoi/history/. Retrieved November 2026.
  2. ^ Koi (Wikipedia). Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi. Retrieved November 2026.
  3. ^ History of the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association - All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. jnpa.info/en/about/history/. Retrieved November 2026.
  4. ^ What is a Nishikigoi? - Koi Fish History Explained and Meaning. Kodama Koi Farm (koi dealer). kodamakoifarm.com/what-is-nishikigoi-history-meaning/. Retrieved November 2026.
  5. ^ ニシキゴイ (Wikipedia). Wikipedia (Japanese). ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/錦鯉. Retrieved November 2026.
  6. ^ Koi (Wikipedia). Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utsurimono. Retrieved November 2026.
  7. ^ Taisho-sanshoku - Variety - All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association. jnpa.info/en/nishikigoi/varieties/type/taisho-sanshoku/. Retrieved November 2026.
  8. ^ All About Gosanke Koi Fish Varieties "The Big Three!". Kodama Koi Farm (koi dealer). kodamakoifarm.com/gosanke-koi-fish/. Retrieved November 2026.
  9. ^ 錦鯉の里 - 小千谷市ホームページ. Ojiya City. city.ojiya.niigata.jp/site/kanko/nishikigoinosato.html. Retrieved November 2026.
  10. ^ Koi (Wikipedia). Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shusui. Retrieved November 2026.