Koi Varieties Bred:
Goshiki
Kumonryu
Ogon
Platinum
Showa Sanshoku
There is a Koi show called Nogyosai once a year (the end of October) in Niigata where all the breeders will enter their Koi. This is one of the three biggest Koi shows and very authoritative. It is Kin Kikokuryu of Mr. Seiki Igarashi that obtained the most attention at the Nogyosai 2000.
Mr. Seiki Igarashi and Mamoru Kodama,chairman of Miyoshiike
Mr. Seiki Igarashi created Kin Kikokuryu.
Ojiya city is the centre of Nishikigoi breeding. Mr.Igarashi has his big farm deep in the mountains about 10 miles away from Ojiya city. He breeds many varieties including Gosanke (Kohaku, Sanke and Showa.) He started breeding Koi with his father, Yoshiichi, when he was 17 years old in 1966. Now he has 35 years of breeding experience. When he started Koi breeding, there were about 6000 breeders in Niigata, but now there are only 200. This means Nishikigoi has been an artwork. If you were not able to breed more beautiful Nishikigoi than anybody else, nobody would buy your Koi and you could not survive. Mr. Igarashi has been working hard in this competitive world.
To be recognised as Nishikigoi breeder, there are only two ways: either you breed the most beautiful Nishikigoi or you created a new variety that nobody has ever bred. Some 32 years after he started breeding Nishikigoi, he became recognised as an authority by completing "Kin Kikokuryu."
