Koi
The term koi means carp in Japanese and is the result of Japanese breeders trying to replicate what Chinese breeders had done to wild carps (i.e. creating the goldfish). When the goldfish was first introduced to Japan from China it became very popular and Japanese fish breeders eventually started to experiment on their own. The result is the koi, which is known as “Nishikigoi” in Japanese. Why the English language adopted the Japanese word for the wild carp instead of the proper name Nishikigoi remains a mystery. The Niigata Prefecture on the Honshu Island is the traditional centre for koi breeding. In this prefecture, unusually coloured carps where collected from the rice fields and selectively bred to amplify their striking colours. We do not know exactly when this started but it was probably during the 1800s, so the koi is a much younger fish than the goldfish. With the advent of inventions such as plastic bags and air transport, it became much easier to export live fish and the practise of keeping koi in garden ponds spread from Japan to other parts of the world. Today, there are many different types of koi to choose among but one of the oldest varieties – the Kohaku – is still one of the most popular ones. A Kohaku koi is adorned with a distinctive red and white colour pattern.
