International Issue 1 September 2013 - Niigata

Transcription

Nishikigoi Digest
l
l
A
w
e
n
Issue 1
20 years in the
business - interview
with Mike Hernandez
September 2013
Indonesia focus
Goshiki
Growing jumbo Koi,
theory and practice Mike Snaden
- in detail
All Indonesia Koi Show
Visit to the home of the 1st
Indonesian Koi ‘World Champion’
Visit to Samurai Koi Centre
White Sands - a Koi
keepers’ paradise
Opening of Kim’s
Koi’s new store
International
History
Styles
Appreciation
Breeders
The ‘National’ is back
- report on the 34th
BKKS National Koi
Show
www.Niigata-Nishikigoi.com
The e-zine for the global Koi community
www.facebook.com/nishikigoidigest
Welcome to Issue 1 of Nishikigoi Digest International
First of all let me say thank you; I’m excited and honored that you are sat on your PC,
tablet, mobile phone, or whatever electronic device reading this.
Since I first got entranced by Nishikigoi way back in the 1980’s I’ve dedicated a huge
amount of time to learning about, and trying to understand them.
Contents: (click to go to article of interest)
20 years in the business
- interview with Mike Hernandez
Back in the 1980’s the amount of published material was limited to say the least.
Since then, with the advent of the Internet, it seems at times there is information
overload. Sadly, at times, the quality of information leaves a lot to be desired.
From 2007 to date I’ve dedicated a lot of my time to Japan in the pursuit of
understanding Nishikigoi. This learning, together with the number of contacts that i’ve
made, I hope, gives me the ideal platform to launch Nishikigoi Digest International and
share with readers a detailed and in depth understand of Nishikigoi.
Nishikigoi Digest International is dedicated to providing a global perspective on the Koi
hobby and industry working with the industry’s major players.
We cannot do this alone and welcome feedback, contribution and ideas from around the
world.
If there is something you would like us to cover, or you can cover for us, then please do
not hesitate to contact us.
Finally. thank you to all the people that have helped and contributed to issue 1.
Growing jumbo Koi, theory and practice
- Mike Snaden
White Sands
- a Koi keepers’ paradise
Opening of Kim’s Koi’s new store
The ‘National’ is back
- report on the 34th BKKS National Koi Show
Visit to Samurai Koi Centre
11th ZNA All Indonesia Family Koi Show
Mark Gardner
[email protected]
Nishikigoi Digest International is protected by international copyright law, the contents may not be
copied or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.
Visit to the home of Hartono Soekawanto
- Indonesia’s first Koi ‘World Champion’
20 Years in the Business - Mike Hernandez
NDI: Mike, where and when did you
first discover Koi?
MH: In the Philippines we have a
national Park called Luneta which used
to have a Japanese Garden that featured
a Koi Pond in it. My earliest memory of
Koi was during one of our visits to the
Luneta with my family when I was about
seven years old.
NDI: What was it that attracted you to
them in the first place ?
20 Years
in the
Business
- interview with
Michael Hernandez
MH: I grew up surrounded by large
bodies of water; 500 metres west of my
home would bring you oceanside and
300 metres eastward would bring you
to the river, both of which were teeming
with fish and other sealife. Often I would
talk to the local fishermen and ask them
if they would give me a ride on their
boats so that I could get a closer look at
the fish, so I had always been interested
in fish.
The Koi in the Japanese Garden,
however, just completely blew me away.
At seven years old, those Koi had been
the largest fish that I had ever seen,
certainly at least ten times the size of
the fish that I had seen the fishermen
catch. The colors that they possessed
absolutely blew me away, I had never
seen so much intricacy in the colors
of fish before! On top of that I was
completely taken by how friendly they
were. As I came to the edge of the pond
they came up and greeted me as if they
knew me. It would be several years later
when I would encounter them again,
but that initial experience was etched in
my mind forever.
NDI: Was there an industry for Koi in
the Philippines before you started kOis
& pOnds ?
MH: There were several people breeding
Koi locally in the Philippines before
I established kOis & pOnds. Most of
these island born Koi were sold in
Cartimar, which is a building complex
that featured possibly the largest
concentration of pet stores in the
Metropolis area. At the time, Koi were
referred to differently; a Showa was
known as a Tri-color and a Sanke was
referred to as Taisho.
Above, the Japanese garden in Luneta, also
known as Rizal Park, in Manila. The garden was
built to promote friendship between Japan and
the Philippines.
Below, Mike and wife Gleci on a visit to Narita City
in 1995 during their days working for Philippine
Airlines.
NDI: What made you think that you
could be successful in importing and
selling kois ?
MH: Like many people, my beginnings
as a professional in this industry were
born out of a deep passion for Koi and a
strong desire to learn more about them.
It was never my intention to sell Koi, but
doing so allowed me not only to expand
my knowledge but also feed my hunger
to constantly be around these beautiful
creatures.
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 1 - September 2013
My wife Gleci and I used to be flight
attendants for Philippine Airlines
which allowed us to travel quite
extensively.
On one of our flights to Thailand I
was once again reacquainted with
Koi. My good friend Godo Cabling,
a colleague from the airline, is one
to blame for this too. I happened
upon one of the busy streets of
Bangkok on the weekend flea market
known as Chatuchak. Unlike my first
experience with Koi I was now armed
with the power of
a paycheck which I
put to good use by
purchasing some Koi
to bring home and
enjoy.
sports cars such as the MG. I had
met and became friends with many
people who shared the same interest
in these particular types of car and
one of them was Ken from Narita City.
As we were chatting one day our
conversation turned to my interest
in Koi fish. Ken mentioned that he
knew of a large Koi farm nearby that
had large Koi and offered to drive
me over. That day my life changed
forever.
Ken brought me to Tani Fish Farm
and it
almost
felt like
my heart
would
burst from
‘If Koi came with a
warning label it would say
this; ‘Caution: This Koi is
equipped with a bug that
bites upon purchase.’’
Now, if Koi came
with a warning label
it would say this; ‘Caution: This Koi is
equipped with a bug that bites upon
purchase.’ Unfortunately, I didn’t
get the memo so I got bit by the Koi
Bug. Hard! Every flight after that
demanded that I visit any sort of pet
shop, garden centre or park with a
Koi pond, but I had yet to discover
the ‘promised land’ of Koi; Japan.
In my younger years I had another
less expensive, but more popular,
hobby; cars. I was particularly
interested in the restoration of British
excitement. In front of me were Koi
so beautiful like I’d only ever seen in
magazines. I felt like I had found the
Holy Grail. There are never enough
hours in the day, so in order to
preserve the memory of my wonder,
I purchased some Koi and took them
home.
After that I was determined to get
every available flight back to Japan.
I would trade flight duties with coworkers and even get my wife in on
my little game to go to Japan as often
as possible.
My little collection of Koi grew at
an exponential speed and before I
knew it, word travelled around Manila
about some airline crew member
bringing in ‘very colourful, nicely
patterned Japanese Koi’. It was
almost like a whirlwind because soon
I found a regular stream of people
coming to my home to view my
collection, several of whom offered to
buy my Koi. I had never intended to
sell my collection, but then I thought,
‘if I sell this Koi, then I would need to
go to Japan again to buy more!’ How
could I turn down that opportunity?
From those simple beginnings came
great things. From little bags of
carry-on fish, my Koi shipment grew
to be shipped by air cargo. kOis &
pOnds was established as a Sole
Proprietorship in 1993 and later was
incorporated into a company in 1995.
Above, Kenji Tani outside the premises of Tani Fish Farm where
Mike found the ‘Holy Grail’
Below, the Hernandez family at kOis & pOnds in 1993
NDI: Where did the business start
trading?
MH: We first started selling Koi from
our backyard, and eventually began
expanding by building a Koi pond in
our garage. Eventually we converted
the vacant school and office supply
store in front of our house that my
aunt and grandmother used to own
into a Koi shop. A year and a half
later we opened up shop in Cartimar,
which was the centre for pet stores in
Manila.
NDI: When did you build the current
premises ?
Above, The Hernandez
children 1994
Above, Mike and Tom
selecting Koi in Japan
MH: kOis & pOnds in Quezon City would
be it’s third location. It was built in the
latter part of 1997. This is through the
kindness of Tito Alex and Tita Pearl who
I met through my good ‘ol buddy Alex
Jr., better known as Ading. We, together
with my brother-in-law Kenneth, and
later on my son Tom, would spend trips
to Japan and wonderful times meeting
new koi hobbyists when we initially
relocated kOis & pOnds to Quezon City.
NDI: You were still working for PAL
when you started trading Koi, it must
have been a very big step to leave and
go full time as a Koi dealer.
Mike in Japan
MH: kOis & pOnds was officially
established in 1993, but wasn’t until
four years later in 1997 that I found
the strength to finally clip my cabin
crew wings and become a full time Koi
professional. The support and patronage
of the Filipino Koi enthusiasts has been,
and still is, quite amazing since we began
kOis & pOnds, and for this we feel very
blessed and grateful.
After I resigned from the airline Gleci
followed suit a few months later so that
we could run the business together.
In doing so, we were not only able to
further our Koi education and bring
kOis & pOnds to its full potential, it also
afforded us more time to spend with our
children Tom, Mikki and Gaita. Life is
good!
NDI: When was your first buying trip to
Japan ?
closest friends.
MH: It began in the early part of
1992. Since then I would fly regularly
accompanied by various members of my
family; either Gleci, Kenneth, Tom, Mikki
or Gaita. I guess this is the reason why
our children are quite interested in the
Koi hobby and Japanese culture too, they
basically grew up around it constantly.
Mikki decided to learn Nihongo (ed.
Japanese language) while she was in
university, but Tom dove in head first
and was stung hard by the Koi bug as
well. In 2006, he became an apprentice
at Dainichi Koi Farm and got to work side
by side with some of the most prominent
Koi breeders in the world.
The day I began buying Koi from the Koi
farms in Japan was really quite magical
and I feared that the magic would fade
away after the initial excitement wore
off. Thankfully my fears were unfounded
because, even after the 100th visit to
Japan, everything still has something
new and exhilarating to offer whether
it may be Niigata, Hiroshima, Chiba, or
Tokyo. All these trips to Japan, as well as
the buying and selling of Koi, has always
been a great experience but, if I were
completely honest, it is really only icing
on the cake. What truly drives me is the
infinite hunger for more knowledge in
the art of Koi. Being able to exchange
ideas together with the masters is truly a
rewarding experience and I am beyond
grateful to Tani Fish Farm, and Kenji Tani
in particular, for everything that they
have shared with not only myself but
with my family and kOis & pOnds. Domo
arigato gozaimasu (ed. thank you very
much) Tani San!
NDI: You worked closely with Kenji
Tani of Tani Fish Farm, when did the
relationship start ?
NDI: How was the business/hobby
evolved over the past 20 years in the
Philippines ?
MH: The day I started buying Japanese
bred koi. Kenji has been my exclusive
consolidator for over two decades now. I
feel fortunate to say that he, along with
several other Japanese Breeders, are
both my mentors in Koi and some of my
MH: Leaps and bounds, Mark, leaps and
bounds. As I mentioned earlier, the Koi
variety names were known either by their
English name or by their less popular
names. Goshiki were sometimes called
‘five colours’ and some Kawarigoi were
occasionally known as ‘seven colors’. They
were generally coined as ‘Japanese Carp’ and
very less often as ‘Koi’. Way back in the early
90s, the idea of bottom drains, skimmers,
multi-chamber filters and UV lights were
virtually unheard of and most Koi ponds were
no more than 3 feet in depth.
pOnds’ first grow out competition. It was the
first competition in Koi that the Philippines
had ever seen and it was met with great
success. It was mounted a second time the
following year, but it wouldn’t be until 2011
that a third Koi Show would be held.
In an effort to hasten the process of higher Koi
understanding, kOis & pOnds set up several
events that would bring the hobby to new
heights in the Philippines. We invited several
guests from overseas to come to Manila and
share with the Filipino Koi hobbyists some
of their insights on Koi, and because the
Philippines was so close to Japan, a steady
stream of various Japanese Koi breeders often
came with the invitation from kOis & pOnds.
Together with PALHS, the Philippine Arowana
and LouHan Association, kOis & pOnds hosted
the 1st Philippine Koi Show on February 5th
2011 in conjunction with the kOis & pOnds
3rd Grow Out Contest. Unlike the last two
previous shows, in 2001 & 2002, we were
armed with an additional 10 more years of
experience under our belt and the help of a
few imported Koi benchers and journalists,
volunteer members of PALHS, and my
children all grown up. My son Tom was the
head bencher for the show and together
with my daughter Mikki they were able to
create a system for Koi show management
with computers and protocol that made
everything run smoothly. Devin Swanson,
co-owner of Koi Acres in Minnesota and my
son-in-law, acted as assistant bencher as well
as Judge’s Assistant. Shawn McHenry, coowner of Mystic Koi in California, USA and
honorary Hernandez family member, also
joined us that year and every year since as a
Koi judge together with Japanese Koi masters
who judge the show. And of course, Mr Mark
Gardner, you have always been supportive of
kOis & pOnds since your first visit here in 2011,
and for that we are very grateful.
2001 saw the birth of a new way to further
hone the Philippine Koi hobby with kOis &
With the help of my awesome show
management team, we have been able to
When I began constructing Koi ponds many
of my friends thought I was being impractical
for digging 5ft deep ponds. They rationalized
that Japanese Koi ponds were dug deep in
order to account for temperature control since
Japan had four seasons while the Philippines
had only two, dry and rainy.
While I did acknowledge that deep ponds
were excellent for controlling temperature
irregularities, I also felt that there had to more
to gain from deep ponds than just that. What
I did gain in doing so was not only better Koi
conformation but also a school of thought for
Koi pond design.
Left, guests at the 2nd Philippine Koi Show
held in 2002 at kOis & pOnds.
Left to right, Futoshi Mano (Dainichi), Max
Ng (Max’s Koi Farm, Singapore), Takahashi
Suguru (Gonjiro), Kenji Tani (Tani Fish Farm),
Mike Hernandez, Hisashi Hirasawa (Marudo),
Kentaro Sakai (Sakai), Kojiro Migita (Migita).
Above, guests at the 2013 Philippine Koi Show, 10th February 2013.
Left to right, Devin Swanson (Koi Acres, USA), Mikki Swanson, Shawn McHenry (Mystic
Koi, USA), Taro Kataoka (Oya), Mitsunori Isa (Isa), Tom Hernandez, Gleci Hernandez, Mike
Hernandez, Futoshi Maruyama (Maruyama), Takahashi Suguru (Gonjiro), Takashi Omosako
(Omosako), Kenji Tani (Tani Fish Farm).,
Far left, Tom Hernandez
Left, Devin Swanson
Right, Mikki Swanson
Essential members of
the show team.
mount the Philippine Koi Show every year
since then and we look forward to the
fourth time around for the Philippine Koi
Show in February of 2014, always on the
weekend after the All-Japan Show.
To date, the number of Koi aficionados
are increasing at an exponential rate
and the clamor of the Filipino Koi keeper
to further advance in the hobby is truly
inspiring. Some of the most sophisticated
and cutting-edge Koi filtration systems
are running in hobbyists’ ponds, and
major Koi shows around the world
are being participated in and won by
Filipinos. Koi clubs and Koi shows are
being established and mounted all over
the country, and kOis & pOnds is happy
and excited to be a part of this exciting
movement in the Philippine Koi industry.
The past decade has seen such a dramatic
change in the level of the Koi hobby in
the Philippines and this is due largely
through the joint effort of many Filipino
Koi enthusiasts and professionals who
share the same passion for Koi.
NDI: How do you see the hobby
developing over the coming few years ?
is It still a growing hobby ?
MH: Koi is such a dynamic hobby. It
always shifts, always changes, always
grows. I feel that there can really be no
end to the process of learning about
Koi, so in effect, perhaps the hobby will
always be growing as well.
NDI: What changes have you seen in
Japan ?
MH: I notice that there has been two
major changes. The first would be that
the All Japan Koi Show has shifted to
become an English style Koi show since
2005. Secondly, the Koi hobby seems to
be growing outward wherein younger
Japanese Koi breeders and professionals
are reaching beyond their borders to
spread and share their expertise and
passion for Koi.
NDI: What are some of
the challenges you’ve
faced over the years ?
management and proper protocol.
It took us a few years to achieve this, but
in 2008 we felt that they were ready and
decided that it was time to begin the kOis
& pOnds operations in the United States.
Despite the company already having
been incorporated for a few years, setting
up the operations didn’t come into
fruition until 2009. My daughter Mikki and
my daughter-in-law Michie, together with
my wife Gleci and my youngest daughter
Gaita worked together to bring all the
components together into what today
makes kOis & pOnds, Inc.
in California, USA. To
add, my brother Mac and
brother-in-law Kenneth
also pitched in to help
make things happen.
‘I feel that there can
really be no end
to the process of
learning about Koi’
MH: Expansion has
possibly been the
most difficult and most
rewarding challenge that
we have had to face thus far. In 2004 we
decided to expand kOis & pOnds to the
United States, so we incorporated kOis
& pOnds in California the following year
in 2005. In order to begin operations
in the United States, there was a lot of
preparation that had to be completed;
the first was to ensure that the Manila
team was self-sufficient enough in
running the Philippine operations
without myself or my son Tom being
around daily. We set out to train the
Manila staff to the best of our abilities
by improving their skills not only in
koi handling and education, but also
All the challenges
I’ve faced over the years were never
overcome alone. I cannot thank and
compliment my team enough for the
support and faith that they continue to
have for kOis & pOnds. I feel very blessed
indeed.
NDI: What challenges do you think the
Koi industry will face over the coming
years ?
MH: I think the koi hobby should be more
competitive against the other existing
hobbies. We have to introduce the
hobby to more people and encourage
them to jump in. Because, only until
one immerses themselves into the Koi
keeping hobby will they be able to
understand the joy and peace that Koi
has to offer.
NDI: In the US you’ve successfully
established the TOMiGAi brand
of koi food ? When did you start
manufacturing that ?
MH: TOMiGAi was first manufactured in
the Philippines in 1999. We were using it
to nourish kOis & pOnds koi collection for
over a year before we launched it.
Lots of research, a bunch of phone
calls and with the help of the Japanese
breeder friends of mine, most specially
Kenji Tani, formula adjustments came by
in the first six months. Those frequent
trips to Japan flying free compliments
of being a former airline employee most
definitely helped a lot too.
It’s funny because we wanted to launch
it after two years but it turned out to be
much earlier. Some of our customers
noticed that we were feeding our Koi a
different Koi food other than the brands
that we were carrying. We told them
that they are still under R & D and will be
launched soon, to which they replied that
they didn’t mind. In fact, they offered
to join us in finding out the results of
this new food. So after checking that all
conditions were good we launched it
much earlier than planned. In less than
two years, TOMiGAi Koi food was born.
My wife and I named the food after our
children Tom, Mikki and Gaita.
TOMiGAi earned the respect of ace
Filipino Koi collectors which helped
popularize it further. One of them
is Mikee Romero; he was one of the
speakers during the Philippine Koi
conference entitled ‘The Art of Koi - an
intimate dialogue with the Masters”, and
I quote: “TOMiGAi has addressed all there
is that a great Koi food needs to have”.
After ten years, in 2009, we started the
US operations of kOis & pOnds and
started manufacturing TOMiGAi in
the United States. With the infusion of
American technology, quality refinement
of TOMiGAi came to pass. My daughter
Mikki Swanson put in a lot of her time
and talent helping the company put
TOMIGAI where it is right now and the
whole family appreciates that sincerely.
I would attribute much of TOMiGAi’s
success in the US to be brought about
by the many American Koi hobbyists and
professionals who believe in TOMiGAi. It
didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it was
an uphill climb, lots of patience and hard
work. Since the beginning, I believe that
TOMIGAI is a collaborative result inspired
by the passion of the people who love
Koi. I want to mention all of them but
it’s going to be a long list. Some of them
you would see and hear anyway in our
website but we yet have to document
a lot more of happy TOMiGAi hobbyists
who we come across at the many US
Koi shows that we attend. They are
the trend setters, the innovators, the
ones who think outside of the box, the
cut aboves. Some of them you would
see in show circuits sharing ideas and
techniques in the spirit of higher Koi
understanding.
I would like to end my response to this
question by mentioning the core values
that TOMiGAi believe in :
Dream Beautiful Nishikigoi. We believe
in developing beautiful Koi. We believe
in focusing completely and exclusively
on Koi. We believe our blend will help
bring your Koi to its fullest potential.
We believe our finest ingredients are
for the wellness and beauty of your
Koi. We believe that your Koi deserve
the freshness of food in their diet. We
believe that you have the right to know
when your Koi food is made. We believe
that together we could achieve the best
in your Koi.
NDI: The brand is available in the US
and the Philippines, is it the same food?
MH: Yes, it is. In the past we used
to manufacture the product in two
continents, the TOMiGAi Koi food
that was sold in the Philippines was
manufactured in the Philippines and the
TOMiGAi Koi food that was sold in the
USA was manufactured in the USA. That
changed in 2011.
We decided that it would be best to
consolidate the manufacturing process
so that it is central in the United States.
Now, all TOMiGAi Koi Food sold
worldwide is manufactured entirely in
the USA.
Above, Mikki Swanson maneuvering a customers’
order of TOMiGAi food out of the warehouse..
NDI: Do you have plans to distribute it
to other countries ?
MH: At the moment, we are already
beginning the expansion process so that
the product can be available to more
hobbyists worldwide. TOMiGAi is not
only distributed across the United States
and the Philippines, but also in Canada,
and it is even being used in Tahiti. We
are always looking for new avenues to
increase our product availability globally.
Above, The TOMiGAi range, for further product
details visit, www.tomigai.com.
NDI: What type of food do you have in
the TOMiGAi range ?
MH: The TOMiGAi Koi food line consists
of five variants; Spirulina, Wheat Germ,
Tategoi, Taberu and Tomodachi. Our
premium lines are the Spirulina and
Wheat Germ, both of which consists
of 50 percent protein in the form of
sinking pellets. The Tategoi variant was
formulated to enhance the shiroji or
Above, TOMiGAi on display on Koi Acres stand at the
2011 Kentucky Koi Show.
white of the Koi and is equipped with 40
percent protein. Our multi-season diets
are the Taberu and Tomodachi, which
are made up of 35% and 30% protein,
respectively. These variants were designed
to nourish Koi during extreme temperature
or weather that is still within the proper
feeding conditions for koi.
I could talk forever about our food Mark but
instead I would like to let the results speak
for themselves. We have documented
and recorded the testimonials of many
TOMiGAi Koi hobbyists on our website
(www.tomigai.com/testimonials) who
have willingly gone on record to share
their experience with our Koi Food. Koi
Acres also uses this food exclusively and
the results that they have had in their mud
pond facilities are just astounding.
NDI: Are you planning to move into koi
sales in the US ?
MH: In the past, we have had a few
shipments of Koi to the US. In fact, in 2009
we were able to bring in an 85bu Maruten
Sandan Kohaku from Sakai Fish Farm that
was fortunate enough to win the 2009
Southern California ZNA Grand Champion
Award.
NDI: You’ve judge the All Japan Koi Show
a number of times, when did you first
judge it and how many times have you
judge it in total ?
MH: I’ve been honored and privileged to
be delegated as judge to the All Japan
Show on nine separate occasions, the first
of which was in1998, and then followed in
1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 2010, 2013
and finally the All Japan Young Koi Show
this year. The first time was just completely
nerve wracking, but I was comforted by
the words of the late great Hiroji Sakai who
approached me after the judging had been
concluded. He told me, “Daijyoubu. Genki.
Genki.”, as he pointed at me. Basically, he
told me that everything went well and
I did great. That was a very rewarding
experience.
Above, The Hernandez family after winning GC at
the 2009 Southern California ZNA Show
Above and below, Judging the 2013 All Japan
Koi Show
NDI: How has the All Japan Show changed
over the years since you first judged it?
MH: The changes in the way that the All
Japan Koi Show is judged is one of the
major changes in the industry over the past
two decades. When it was judged in the
Japanese style of Koi showing, one could
actually see the Koi alongside each other. It
was much easier to judge Koi this way, and
a lot more entries could be accommodated
at the All Japan Show. Before the change,
the number of Koi being entered was
anywhere around the 4000+ range.
Nowadays, there is usually about 1500 Koi
entered into the show.
I do however feel that the new English
style of showing Koi gives everyone more
peace of mind when joining a Koi show
because it has a much better protocol for
bio security. Furthermore, because the
Above, a relaxed Mike on his 9th All Japan judging
assignment, the 2013 All Japan Wakagoi Show
number of Koi that could be entered has
grossly decreased since this change took
place, I’ve found that the hobbyists and
professionals have had to be a lot more
selective in the Koi that they decide to
show. Instead of bringing 10 fish to show
they select only their 2 top Koi, which
raises the bar on the quality of Koi year
after year.
NDI: What is your favorite variety of koi
and why ?
MH: Gosanke and Shiro Utsuri. There is
something about these varieties that put
me in trance when I see them swimming
together.
NDI: You’ve seen many of thousands of
koi over the years, what are some of
the most memorable/favorite koi that
you’ve seen ?
MH: I thought you’d never ask Mark! I’m
sure you know the answer to that. There
are two Koi in particular that have a
special meaning to me.
One is Mikee Romero’s ‘High Note’ Sakai
Sanke and the other one is Dennis Sytin’s
Kuchi Sumi Isa Showa named ‘Milan’,
both of whom happen to be our TOMiGAi
mascots.
High Note was one Sanke that always won
at the All Japan Show year after year since
we got her when she was a nisai. Milan
is one amazing Showa that won the 2nd
top award at the 2009 All Japan Wakagoi
Show despite the fact that she was one
of the smallest in her size category. Both
Koi have an interesting story to tell but
I guess we have to save it for your next
issue. I have many more Koi favorites that
I have purchased for my friends. Most of
them are still in Japan waiting for the right
time to join a Japanese Koi show.
NDI: Can you share with us some
particularly funny, memorable or
interesting stories from your time in the
business ?
MH: I have, in fact, two stories.
On one of our buying trips to Japan in the
late 90s, I was accompanied by two of my
closest friends; Ading and my brother-inlaw Kenneth. At this point, we had been
driving all over the mountains of Niigata
for the past week and it was leaving us
just absolutely exhausted. Regardless,
we had to all be up bright and early
particularly because it was our last day. I
phoned both Ading and Kenneth in their
rooms and informed them that we were
to all meet in the lobby in half an hour.
I was running a bit early, so I decided
to poke my nose into a little monkey
business and play a prank on my two
companions who were still in their hotel
rooms.
Dennis Sytin’s Isa Showa ‘Milan’ that won ‘Adult
Champion’ at the 2009 All Japan Wakagaoi Show
Mikee Romero’s Sakai Sanke ‘High Note’, multiple
winner at the All Japan Show including best in variety
in 2010
Since we were expected to be in the
lobby in a few minutes, I anticipated that
Ading and Kenneth would be walking
out of their rooms at any moment. I
quickly dropped down to the floor and
decided to play dead by the elevator
doors, patiently waiting for their
panicked reaction to my feigned illness.
I began to hear faint footsteps walking
down the carpeted hallway. The
excitement mounted inside me and I
couldn’t wait to fulfill the crux of my little
trick. I waited patiently and lay there as
still as I could, fully committing to the
tragedy of my story. As the footsteps
came closer and closer, I allowed the
tension inside me to build up, until I
could feel the presence of one of my
companions nearly hovering over me.
“Yaaaaa!!!”, I exclaimed as I suddenly
sprung up to frighten them.
“O! O! Dare no! Nani wo! O!!!”
I hadn’t accounted for the fact that we
were staying in a hotel and not a private
residence and the possibility that there
was more than just myself and my group
of people who were staying there.
Instead of scaring either Ading or
Kenneth, I had in fact frightened the
living daylights out of an older Japanese
gentleman who was on his way out.
Just behind him, I saw the faces of both
Kenneth and Ading who were standing
outside their hotel room doors rolling
over in laughter.
I apologized to the older man and joined
my companions in joyful embarrassment.
Needless to say, it was perhaps I who was
tricked that day.
The second story is one that I always tell
my children, and to this day has struck
me both as a genuine love for Koi and a
true testament to the integrity that man
is capable of.
In 1996, back when kOis &
pOnds was still in Cartimar,
we had a young customer
named Giovanni. Giovanni
was a student at the nearby
university who would
frequent our shop between
classes and during the
weekends. He was not wealthy by any
means and in order to subsidize his
education, he had to work part time.
meticulously search through the Koi
to make the most out of every hard
earned peso. I was very appreciative of
his sincere desire to learn more about
Koi and did the best I could to teach him
about Koi and walked him through the
selection process. Every time he made
a purchase I would always offer him a
generous discount but he would always
refuse to take it, saying that the time and
knowledge that was imparted to him was
more than any discount I could offer.
On one such buying occasion, Giovanni
had selected one five inch Koi and
after the usual Koi thoughts had been
exchanged, it was time for him to
go home. He decided to settle his
bill and found that he was about
50 pesos (US$1.20) short and he
only had enough left on him to
take the public transportation
home. As usual, I offered to give
it to him at a discount but he
absolutely refused to take it, so we said
he could just forget about the shortage
and just get us sodas next time if he
wanted. He agreed to do so with much
regret and gathered his things and his
newly purchased Koi and headed over to
the nearby train station, as it was getting
late.
‘Koi give me
unparalleled
peace and
inspiration’
Despite his financial constraints, his
passion for Koi was unparalleled and he
would work extra hours just to be able to
purchase Koi to bring home and enjoy for
himself.
His eagerness to learn was just so
inspiring and heart-warming and every
time he would buy Koi he would very
The next morning, we had just opened
shop when Giovanni was there, bright
and early!
“Giovanni, is there a problem? Is there
anything I can help you with?” I asked
him.
“None at all, Mike, I’m just glad I caught
you before I go to school. I came back
because I wanted to pay you back the
fifty pesos that I owed you.”
My wife and I were beside ourselves, we
were so speechless and touched by the
gesture. We firmly declined to take his
money and insisted that he take a bag of
Koi food from us as a token of our deep
appreciation and sincere admiration.
I have never forgotten Giovanni all of
these years, especially when the topic
of integrity comes up. He was such a
breeze of fresh air.
Thank you so much Mark for this great
opportunity, I really appreciate it and I
wish Nishikigoi Digest International great
success!
To the readers who bore with me until
the last part of this interview thank you
so much.
And on the last note, I would like to share
with you that Koi give me unparalleled
peace and inspiration, I hope they do the
same to you as well.
Enjoy the Zen of Koi
… mike hernandez
Congratulations
on the launch of
Nishikigoi Digest
International
This newly harvested 58cm
nisai Sanke was purchased by
Swedish hobbyist Stefan Malm
in October 2011.
60bu Champion
2012 Ojiya Koi Show
Grand Champion
2012 Ojiya Koi Show
www.torazokoi.com
After growing in our best mud pond
for one season it was harvested
at 70cm in October 2012 (main
picture) and shipped to Sweden.
In July 2013 at 77cm the Sanke
was awarded Mature Champion at
the 1st Nordic Live Koi Show.
Urakawa Koi Farm autumn harvests will
start on 10th October.
Please visit our farm or watch our
Facebook page for updates from our
harvests.
www.facebook.com/torazokoi
2013 harvests will start from 12th October. We hope you will find your dream
Koi at Shintaro Koi Farm.
www.facebook.com/shintarokoifarm.saito
Click on a box to find out more about the TOMiGAi product
Growing Jumbo Koi
Theory and Practice
Growing Jumbo Koi - Mike Snaden
NDI – Mike, first of all can you tell us
how you got interested in Koi in the first
place?
Mike – I’ve always been interested in fish
in general, including Koi really since I was
a child. The first time I had fish I was about
11 years old, my stepmother had a whole
load of goldfish in a 4ft tank and there
was just 1 white Koi in there. That Koi
nicknamed ‘McAlpine’ because it used to
move and shift all the gravel around the
tank like an excavator would. Basically I
took to looking after the tank, cleaning it
out and buying new fish for it, that kind of
thing.
When I was around 13 or 14 was the first
time that I saw Koi at a Koi outlet, that was
a place called Blagdon Water Gardens,
and I was amazed at the time because
there were a load of Yamabuki Ogons,
one pond with only Yamabukis in, which I
assume were around 2 or 3 years old, they
were £200 each and around 18” long. I
was completely blown away by the fish
at the time and just thought ‘wow these
things are really expensive, this must be
just a rich man’s hobby’ and never for one
minute imagined I’d end up keeping Koi
let alone deal in them.
Interview with Mike Snaden - Part 1
When I got married in 1993 my wife and
I went to Jersey on our honeymoon and
that was when my wife saw Koi for the
first time and basically after spending
time becoming intrigued by them and
throwing them food turned around and
said, ‘maybe we should have a pond at
home to keep Koi’, and the rest is history
because literally as soon as we got back
we started straight away with digging a
pond and that year, 1993, it was up and
running and that was it.
NDI – Moving on much nearer the
present day; your main interest,
something you write and talk about
extensively, is your passion for growing
small fish into big fish.
Mike – Yes, for me that’s just something
which is incredibly challenging in so many
ways. It’s challenging to get fish with the
right kind of genetics, and then to find
ones with the right kind of body type and
qualities, to do that in itself is something
which is extremely challenging but then
to actually grow them as well and get
those fish jumbo is actually so rewarding,
but there are so many pitfalls in trying to
raise fish that the only way really that you
can learn with the whole thing is by your
mistakes and that’s really what makes
it so difficult, so challenging and yet so
rewarding when something actually does
grow up well.
NDI – obviously genetics are the main
thing, if the genetics aren’t right to start
with then you are never going to actually
achieve anything, but even with the
right genetics it’s easy to make things go
wrong and there are many other factors
involved in that such as the pond,
water quality, feeding, temperature,
all those kind of things. Of those
things which do you consider the most
important?
Mike – Really the most important thing
is the genetics and bloodlines because
what I’ve found really is that you’ve got
to kind of look at a breeder’s business
model before you decide whether
they’ve got the right kind of fish for
you because at the end of the day if the
breeder is focused on just producing
attractive Koi for export, or whether
they are producing Koi that they want
to try and win smaller prizes with at the
All Japan Show, you’ve got to use that
to make a judgement call on whether
they are the right fish for you. So at
the end of the day I think that if you
are going to buy Koi that are going to
become big jumbo Koi you need to
make absolutely sure that that breeder
is consistently raising large numbers of
those fish jumbo that he’s actually bred
because at the end of the day if you’re
not seeing fish of 85 or 90cm+ from
that breeder that you’re considering
buying from the chances are you’re
not seeing them because they are not
capable of getting to that size.
NDI – just picking up on the use of the
word ‘jumbo’, a word we hear thrown
around all the time now from jumbo
tosai through to jumbo nisai through
to jumbo Koi, what is your definition
of a jumbo Koi when you say you are
trying to achieve jumbo size.
Mike – to me anything 85cm+ is jumbo,
I mean 80cm+ is big, but 85cm+ is a
whole lot more challenging in itself so
really I think you’ve got to pass that
85cm magic marker as it were and then
you can call it jumbo, but nowadays we
are seeing more and more fish growing
90cm+ assuming the lineages and
genetics are right so that benchmark, if
you like, of the word jumbo is getting
pushed forwards all the time.
NDI – OK, so assuming we’ve found a
tosai or a nisai with the right genetics,
now looking at the environment we
are going to keep the Koi in, what
are the key things for providing the
correct environment for that fish?
Mike – there are so many things, it’s
unlike any other animal that you can
consider in so far that you’ve got water
chemistry, filtration, you’ve got pond
water depths, turnover rates, heating
regimes, feeding regimes there is
just so much to consider with it but
at the end of the day you have to
consider the pond to be an eco-system
in its own right, you can’t just think
about ammonia and nitrite levels, or
ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and pH,
you’ve got to look at so many other
things in order to actually conclude that
that system is actually fit for raising fish
in in the way that you intend to.
With regards to pond depth I think too
many people build ponds that are too
deep, for example a pond like in the
old days that was 2m deep is just too
deep and causes too many problems. I
think 1.5m deep is an ample depth for
any pond and ponds over 1.5m deep
cause more problems with growing
Koi jumbo than ponds that are lesser or
with depths of 1.5m.
NDI – can you give us an idea of some
of those problems that are caused by
having a pond of 2m or deeper?
Mike – It’s a very long story in so far as
basically it would seem that deeper
ponds tend to cause a lot of swim
bladder issues.
I think what it basically boils down to
is that if a pond is 2m deep it’s very
easy to put too much aeration in which
results in water that becomes too high
in dissolved oxygen saturation, it’s quite
easy to go past 100%, which in itself
is fine but of course what is probably
going to go hand in hand with that, and
it’s hard to actually quantify, is nitrogen
gas levels and basically total gases are
also going to be over saturated if you
are saturating the oxygen to that level
so easily.
Jumbo Kohaku, Bred by Dainichi Koi Farm,
85bu Kokugyo Prize 2013 All Japan Koi Show,
Grand Champion 2012 Niigata Nogyosai
What I’ve found is that if you run a pond
of say 1.5m deep you can put a lot of
aeration in there and yet still run 8590% O2 saturation and yet you can have
just 1 air stone in there and still hit the
same level of 85% plus whereas in a
2m or 2.2m deep pond if you were to
run one airstone, even only a couple
of feet down (60cm), it’s actually quite
easy to go beyond 100% O2 saturation
with hardly any aeration. Another side
effect of this I think, in particularly deep
ponds, perhaps 2.5-3m deep and you
are running a lot of aeration in there,
it’s quite easy in theory to run 110 or
120% O2 saturation and that in itself
causes problems because what happens
if you have a power failure, or any kind
of problem, the fish have become very
reliant on those levels of O2 saturation
so even a very short power cut you can
end up with an O2 level of perhaps 90%
or something like that which is ample in
normal circumstances but with fish that
have become accustomed to the higher
level they just can’t cope with it and dies
very easily.
Also, another thing seems to be the
case is that if you medicate ponds the
O2 saturation drops as it normally would
because of the oxygen being ‘consumed’
by the chemicals and I think it’s a lot
easier to kill fish in a deeper pond by
medicating even if you’ve got a lot of
aeration in the pond it pulls the O2 levels
down to a level that the fish basically
can’t survive in no matter how much air
you’ve got in there. I think that when
you’ve got a shallower pond the O2
saturation is lower, the gills are redder
as a result of it and consequently in the
event of a power failure you can go
maybe 5-6 hours without the fish even
showing any signs of gasping and things
like that. I think it makes things a whole
lot simpler in so many ways.
Another thing to consider is an issue
with swim bladders with deeper ponds.
It seems that in heavily aerated ponds
that are say 2m deep or more a lot of fish
that are on their road to being grown
jumbo, when they get past 75cm will
quite often start to come up and gulp at
the surface and then go down and blow
bubbles through the gills. If that carries
on in a prolonged manner for any length
of time you end with a Koi sat on the
bottom with swim bladder problems.
You don’t tend to see any swim bladder
issues in shallower ponds, ponds of 1.5m
depth tend to cause very few problems
with swim bladder issues whereas ponds
with 2m depth I’ve seen personally as
a dealer a lot of high end customers,
hobbyists that have been keeping real
high level fish, growing them jumbo, and
the amount of failures they’ve had to do
with swim bladders is just unbelievable.
The more common factor between all of
those hobbyists is inevitably if they are
buying high end fish chances are that
they have a high end system to keep
them in and consequently those ponds
tend to be quite deep as, if you like, a
financial side effect of having of having
the money to build a big pond.
NDI – OK, so if we are saying 1.5m is
considered as being an optimum depth,
in terms of total volume of water for
someone wishing to grow Koi to jumbo
size what would you be suggesting
as a minimum, or for example do you
consider the length is more important in
terms of swimming distance?
Mike – I don’t really regard any great
importance or significance of having a
pond of a certain size.
Personally I would always advise, if
growing Koi to jumbo, Koi have a sense
of safety in numbers so it’s important
to have a pond of a size where you can
have enough Koi in there so they feel
comfortable, so for that argument I would
say 30 tons as a baseline for a decent
sized pond. Upwards of 30 tons is a good
size, you can stock it reasonably well, the
fish will be happy, they’ll be confident,
but of course you don’t need that
because at the end of the day although
that might be something that’s the ideal
environment.
I wouldn’t dissuade somebody from
trying to grow Koi jumbo in a pond that’s
say 10 tons, I think at the end of the day
it doesn’t really come down to how big
the pond is or how long it is or that kind
of thing what it really comes down to is
water manipulation.
What I mean by this is that if you’ve got
a pond of say 10,000 gallons, or to make
it easy let’s say a 40ton pond, and you
turn that pond over 100% per hour, and
change 10% of the 40 tons per day, just
hypothetically speaking, and then if you
took all the filtration off of that pond,
and put it and the Koi in say a 10ton
pond, you can actually make the 10ton
pond behave like the 40ton pond just by
turning the water over at the 40ton per
hour flow rate and doing the same water
changes as if it were a 40 ton pond, you
can make the pond therefore behave
really, water chemistry wise, as though it
was a bigger volume of water so I think
it’s really quite easy to cheat the system if
you want to try and grow Koi big.
NDI – If for example a pond is only 10
tons is there not a concern about there
not being enough swimming space
for the Koi to develop its body shape
and mass through lack of swimming
distance?
Mike – not really, I think that’s kind of
used as a poor excuse really.
In days of old dealers have always said
to people ‘oh yeah, you need a pond of
2m deep or more’, whereas in reality,
although they say that’s to do with
making better water pressure on body and
making a better body I don’t think it’s really
relevant at all, I think in actual fact if the fish
you are buying has got the right kind of body
type then the fish will grow up with the right
kind of body type, it doesn’t need deep water
to do so and I think a dealer that says, ‘that
fish hasn’t worked out well because your
pond’s not deep enough and that’s why it’s
got too fat’, it’s not a problem with the pond
at all, it’s the fact that the dealer concerned
was buying fish in the first place with the
wrong kind of body type and that’s the issue.
To illustrate that we have a gentleman over
in Wales whose got a pond of 1450 gallons,
it’s round, it has a statue in the middle, and
is 90cm deep. The gentleman’s got 8 fish in
there, they’re all Kohaku, several of them are
around the 80cm mark or just over. One of
the fish he grew last summer, it was quite an
old fish, he bought it as a 4 year old at 60cm,
but he grew that fish to just shy of 91cm
and the body type on the fish was absolutely
perfect. To me that’s pretty good evidence
of the fact that water pressure and exercise
doesn’t really have much bearing on the
body type of the fish. I think also big fish tend
to be very lazy in their general day to day
habits, they swim around quite slowly, and
they don’t really need exercise, big fish don’t
really want the exercise either, I think they
are uncomfortable being pushed around by
strong currents and heavy aeration, that kind
of thing.
NDI – for a number of years now you’ve been
a strong advocate of reverse osmosis water
Mike – I am very much of fan of it. Really,
anybody can grow fish at a relatively fast rate,
but I think you need some kind of benchmark
to put towards what you would call fast.
What I mean by this is that in reality if you are
growing Koi in your own pond you should
be able to at least match what the breeders
are doing in Japan with their mud ponds and
I think this is important. If you want to raise
Koi jumbo you’ve got to look at the typical
sizes the breeder would obtain with his fish.
So, let’s say you buy a breeder’s tosai at 35cm,
and yet as nisai they make 55cm, and then
sansai they make 65cm, yonsai 75cm and so
on, you need to be sure that if you’re on track
with raising those fish you should be hitting
the same sort of sizes, and I think it’s actually
very easy to better those growth rates.
But, what you also need to look at is how
you are actually doing it because at the end
of the day, to my mind, if you’re making
a good pond that’s a good eco-system
you should be able to raise fish with 5 or 6
months of summer with no winter feeding
whatsoever, just purely summer growing,
and temperatures of 23/24°
C. However, I
think if you are in a scenario whereby your
water is no good, or you’ve got hard water or
something like that, then in some respects
you’ve got no alternative but to heat your
water hotter for longer times of the year and
feed heavier, the problem is if you do that
the fish will grow up and look a lot older
than they really are compared to those that
The 1450 gallon pond in Wales which Mike refers
to.
The Kohaku on the right was grown from a 53cm
nisai to a 71cm sansai in the pond.
Originally purchased as tosai, this Kohaku was grown to
78cm by the time it was gosai.
This Sanke arrived as nisai and now measures 78cm as yonsai. Despite being
male, Mike hopes to grow this Koi beyond 90cm.
This Kohaku arrived as nisai. Owned by an overseas
customer she resides at Yume Koi. Sized 83cm she won
Mature Champion at the 2013 BKKS National Koi Show.
are raised in better water with a shorter
summer growing season.
Reverse Osmosis I think is particularly
good because at the end of the day
what you’ve got to consider is that Koi
aren’t carp, they aren’t things that have
been raised in Europe and genetically
adapted to Europe, these things have
been genetically adapted if you like over
centuries, or generations, should I say,
to have been raised in Japan in mud
ponds with effectively very low pH levels,
very low organic levels in the pond,
even though they look dirty that doesn’t
necessarily mean they are organically
loaded as such, but very low TDS water
that’s very very clean really and this is kind
of what they are genetically used to.
To my mind you’ve got to try and
replicate that and replicating it with RO
is I think your best option. You can grow
small fish relatively quickly, say tosai
through to nisai, with hard water but
what will happen is that the bottleneck
is really when the fish get bigger, they
become a lot harder to grow and that’s
really where reverse osmosis makes things
a whole lot easier. I also think that if you’re
raising any kind of Koi it’s also better to
run with a lower pH of say between 7 and
7.5 and that can be very hard to do in a
concrete filtered pond without resorting
to RO and that’s where it becomes really
useful because firstly you can use it to run
the lower pH level, which is a lot better for
the fish anyway, it keeps the colour more
youthful, you get better growth, but also
using RO later on in life when the fish are
bigger kind of prevents that bottleneck
where the fish stop growing so you can
carry on going with them.
NDI – in terms of specific numbers of
what you are achieving with RO, what is
it you are aiming to run ponds at?
Mike – what I’d like to do and what
I succeed in doing are two different
things. What I would like to do is to run
each pond at a TDS of around 100ppm.
Obviously that figure means very little
unless you know the baseline of the water
that’s going into the pond because at
the end of the day you could have water
in the pond that has 200ppm TDS but
it doesn’t really mean a lot because if
your supply water is coming out of the
tap with a TDS of 70ppm it’s effectively
telling you that you’ve got 130ppm of
organic by products that have built up in
the pond over the years and is actually a
sign of really poor maintenance, whereas
likewise you could have a pond with TDS
of 200ppm and mains water, which may
be less than ideal, but coming in at say
180ppm the 20ppm differential indicating
that you are actually looking after the
pond really well.
But, with all things considered what I
would like to do is have a good enough
supply of RO water and be able to mix
water with it to keep the TDS of around
100ppm, I think in that situation it’s really
easy to grow fish quickly and big and keep
them looking youthful, and also keep
them having quite a nice appearance. I
think if it’s too soft maybe the colour is
not so attractive. At 100ppm you can
have the growth and the colour looking
good for taking fish to shows as well.
Personally I find that a lot of the water
that we’ve got here, by the time we get to
the end of summer we are up around the
150-160ppm mark which is not so good, it
still works OK but it’s not exactly where I’d
like it to be.
Above, Mike’s TDS tester
Below, Mike’s RO purification unit
NDI – So the reason for that being higher
at the end of the summer is just because
you are growing and feeding through
the summer?
Mike – Yes, that’s it, it’s a heavy loading
on the pond, heavy feeding and really not
enough water being changed in relation
to how that pond’s being run so that
causes the slow rise through the course
of the summer, particularly really through
August and September because that’s
when I feed a lot heavier and I think that
those are the 2 months whereby I think
it’s best for actually feeding fish to get
most of your summer’s growth, August,
September and rolling into October.
Read part 2 in issue 2 of Nishikigoi
Digest International
White Sands
White Sands Cebu
A Koi Keepers’ Paradise
For many a Koi hobbyist the thought of a 2
week holiday without their Koi is something
nightmares are made of.
Situated on the tropical Mactan Island in
Cebu, Philippines, White Sands Resort and
Spa may be the ideal destination.
The 50 room resort (soon to become 85
rooms), owned by Koi hobbyist Paquito
Unchuan, features not 1, but 5 Koi ponds
sized from 10 tons to 144 tons.
the largest of the Koi ponds on the resort,
presently housing a number of smaller Koi
which are being grown on with a view to
being moved into the ‘Royal Pond’ over
time. Whilst strictly speaking guest feeding
of the Koi is not allowed, I couldn’t resist
helping myself to a little Koi food from
a bucket I spotted and throwing a few
pellets one evening whilst sat relaxing in
the wooden rocking chair outside the room
with a can of San Miguel from the room’s
mini bar.
‘The Koi
are indeed
addictive’
In addition to the Koi ponds
the resort features 2 swimming
pools, a spa offering a range of
treatments, water sports from
jet skiing to scuba diving, island hopping
excursions and 2 bar/restaurants offering
a range of quality food, many made using
local ingredients.
Our 6 night stay at the resort in July was in
one of the courtyard rooms situated around
One of the things that can make or
break the quality of a hotel is the quality
of the staff. Without question one of
the truly stand out things about White
Sands is the quality of the staff, I cannot
recall a single occasion where a member
of staff from cleaner, to waiter, to pool
attendant to security, did not say hello
whenever we passed them.
White Sands - A Koi Keeper’s Paradise
We spoke to Paquito Unchuan about the
history of the Koi at the resort.
NDI: When were the ponds first built White
Sands? Were they originally built for
housing Koi or for other ornamental fish?
PU: The ponds were built in December
of 1995 and only originally intended for
ordinary carp.
NDI: When did your interest in Koi start?
PU: Interest in Koi started the moment we
modified the ponds 1999. The ponds were
supposed just to be a part of the landscape.
I only wanted to have a water feature for the The 72 ton ‘Royal Pond’ at White Sands
hotel. It was not until Mike Hernandez came
and saw the pond (now the Royal Pond) and
modified it as the original was too shallow
for keeping Koi.
White Sands owner Paquito checking the Koi.
NDI: How do hotel guests and staff react to
the Koi?
PU: The real Koi enthusiasts at that time
were not really interested on our old
fishes, but ordinary people like guests
and staff enjoyed their size and especially
the butterfly Koi we had. Some of them
even had favourites and they would name
particular Koi and every time they visited
they would always made sure to check if
the Koi is still there. In fact, when the old
fish died, you can really sense the effect on
the staff as well as on some of our regular
guests.
White Sands - A Koi Keeper’s Paradise
NDI: You’ve recently gone through a
process of ‘upgrading’ the stocks so
to speak, and the systems in general I
understand, what was the motivation or
driver for doing that?
PU: The motivation to upgrade our fishes
was always there. Anya and Melissa
(Paquito’s daughters) were always
complaining how ugly our old fish were and
that we need to get quality Koi soon but
the plan was overshadowed by the resort’s
need to have a large quantity of fish as an
attraction and feature of our hotel. It wasn’t
until we heard about the Cebu Koi Show
last year. We never thought that Cebu had
that kind of show. We went there, saw and
bought some fish from a hobbyist from
Davao, and the rest is history.
NDI: Do you have any plans for further
developments of the Koi ponds on the
premises?
PU: No more plans of improving the ponds
but the plan of upgrading the Koi we
currently have now is still there. The Koi are
indeed addictive.
NDI: I understand you will soon be
developing a new resort on the beautiful
island of Palawan, will Koi feature at that
resort as well?
PU: For Palawan - YES! We will surely put up
a Koi pond with quality Koi fish!
The 144 ton ‘Main Pond’, the largest of the Koi
ponds on the resort and presently home to a
number of tosai which are being grown on with a
view to being moved to the ‘Royal Pond’.
The ponds at White Sands are managed by Briexcell
Martinez, who is also secretary of the Philippines
Cebu Koi Club.
Below Briexcell is selecting through a selection of
tosai to reduce the numbers in the pond.
The resorts Anahata Spa offers a range of treatments using
100% natural ingredients.
Getting to White Sands Resort and Spa
White sands is situated on the island of Mactan, Cebu.
Mactan Airport, the international airport of Cebu,
is just a 1 hour 15 minute flight from Manila and is
serviced by multiple flights each day by Philippine
Airlines and Cebu Pacific
Airways.
The resort is just a 15
minute drive from the
airport.
For more information
about the resort visit their
website:
Manila
Philippines
Cebu
www.whitesands.com.ph
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Quality Nishikigoi
Importers of High Class Koi into the UK
There is still time to get your advert in issue 1 of
Nishikigoi Digest International, but only just!
Issue 1 will go live on 31st August 2013.
To advertise click the link below to mail us.....
[email protected]
www.QualityNishikigoi.com
[email protected]
Tel: 01925 950 401
Koi Variety Banners
Printed on high
quality vinyl
Suitable for indoor or
outdoor use
Each banner sized
45” x 18”
Customisable with
your company logo
20 designs to choose
from featuring some
of the best Koi in the
world
£15 each
Set of 20 £200
Visit:
www.niigata-nishikigoi.com
for more information
or e-mail:
[email protected]
New Premises
Opening Weekend
I’ve known Kim Cloet of Kim’s Koi for
a number of years having met him
numerous times in Japan, as well as at
shows in Holland and Belgium. Indeed
Kim appears on the DVD ‘Harvest Time
in Niigata’ harvesting with Marudo Koi
Farm.
Having scheduled a brief visit to the UK
at the end of June I was to learn that
this in fact coincided with the opening
of Kim’s new premises. Kim had invited
me to previous events over the years but
unfortunately I’d been unable to make
it, on this occasion I decided to hop onto
the Eurostar train to Brussels for the
weekend of 29th and 30th June.
I wasn’t the only person to have visited
from afar for the weekend, the opening
was attended by Masahito Kataoka, Kim’s
agent in Japan and younger brother
of Taro Katoaka who now runs Oya Koi
Farm, Hisashi Hirasawa of Marudo Koi
Farm, Masanori Shinoda of Shinoda Koi
Farm and Nobuyuki Hiroi of Hiroi Koi
Farm. In addition visitors from Belgium,
France, Holland and Germany visited in
their droves, whist an exact number is
unknown surely in excess of 1000 people
attended over the 2 days, some staying
around all day on both days.
I don’t think there was anyone in
attendance who wasn’t truly amazed at
the number of visitors, certainly speaking
to Hisashi Hirasawa during the weekend
he was taken aback by the number of
people that kept coming, and coming
and coming, as well as the number that
were leaving with arms full of purchases.
For much of the time he could be found
outside saying ‘arigatou’, ‘thank you’,
‘merci’ or ‘dank u wel’, proud of his
proficiency in 4 languages as people left.
It was certainly a very successful opening
weekend and the relief on Kim’s face
when the doors finally opened was
extremely apparent, the final few days
beforehand had seen the inevitable long
hours into the night getting things ready.
The sheer number of visitor’s testament
to the fact that Kim is surely doing
something very right in the way he
conducts his business.
Finding Kim’s Koi
Address:
Contact:
Leuvensesteenweg 333
3190 Boortmeerbeek
Vlaams-Brabant
Belgium
Tel: 0032-(0)16-606009
Fax: 0032-(0)16-607099
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.kimskoi.be
Kim’s Koi’s Opening...
...in Pictures
The Japanese breeders arrived at the opening in
classic sports cars to be greeted by a large crowd
of customers and enthusiastic drumming by the
local Taiko drumming group.
Kim’s Koi’s Opening in Pictures
In Japan it is traditional to open wooden caskets of sake in a ceremony
called ‘kagami biraki’ at events including the opening of shops. Kim
appeared particularly keen to get things underway taking Hisashi
Hirasawa a little by surprise.
Inside there were plenty of Koi and dry
goods for the visiting customers.
Kim and Hisashi san cutting the rope to officially open the new store.
Hisashi Hirasawa, President of Marudo Koi Farm, became the self appointed PR guy Kim’s
Koi for the weekend, a role he seemed to enjoy.
As a steady flow of customers came and went Hisashi san would alternate between,
‘arigatou’, ‘thank you’, ‘merci’ and ‘dank u wel’ whilst stood outside the front of the store.
Understandably many customers welcomed the photo opportunity.
The final event of the weekend kept people hanging
around the the last minute, an auction of Koi.
The breeders were drafted into duty helping bag the
Koi, Macho even swept the floor where the bags of sold
Koi would be placed.
This particular Tancho Showa attracted lots
of interest from potential bidders.
The breeders then wheeled each lot in a bowl between
the waiting bidders as Kim took the roll of auctioneer.
Interview with Kim Cloet
Mark: Can you tell me about the
history of your interest in Koi, for
example, when you first became
interested in Koi, what attracted
you to them and when you first
started keeping them?
Kim: Since I was a young boy I was
always really attracted to fish in
general. When we were on holiday
I was always looking to see if there
was a river, lake or sea where I could
spot or catch fish.
Kim Cloet
Interview with
When I was 8 years old I got my
first fish tank for my birthday.
It was a tank with tropical fish;
guppies, platies, etc. From then
on my fascination for ornamental
fish got bigger. I started to read
books and magazines (no internet
in those days) and when I
was 12 years old
I had about 8 fish
tanks with different
species of tropical
fish which I tried to
breed. At that time I
made a first attempt to
make a pond outside,
my liner was an old
screen from our shower.
I saw my first Koi in aquarium shops
in the late 80’s and in some books
of Axelrod (ed. Herbert R Axelrod)
I read about Koi, the varieties and
their origin. At that time Japanese
Koi were really rare in Belgium, and
if you could find some they were
really standard.
When I was around 15 years old I
heard that a flower shop in a village
next to mine was also selling some
pond fish and Koi
I rushed to their
premises and it was
there that I found
some really nice
small Yamabuki
Ogon and Shusui. For me at that
time a tosai was really a lot of money
so I asked them if I could help in
the shop to make some money by
cleaning tanks etc.
scene and I saw so many interesting
things and so many nice Koi. I was
16 at that time and didn’t have a
driving licence so we made the
entire trip by train and ferry, along
with us two nice Kujaku that we
bought at the Koi show.
After my high school
I started to work full
time in the same
shop which became
less and less a flower
shop and more and
more a pond and Koi shop.
‘When i came back
from that trip I was
really Koi Kichi’
From those 2 occasions I was in
contact with Koi and started to
learn more and more about these
interesting, colourful fish.
I was reading an English book (from
Interpet) and found out that in the
UK there were some Koi shows. I
was really curious and fascinated
by these blue tanks with super
Koi so I tried to find out where
there was a major Koi show (still no
internet at that time). I think it was
in 1990 or 91 that I visited the Billing
Aquadrome in Northampton. It
was an amazing experience, the UK
was years ahead on the Belgian Koi
When I was around 20 years old I
made my first trip to Japan to buy
Koi with my boss. The first place I
visited was Tani Fish Farm in Narita.
We headed for Niigata and a new
world opened to me. We visited
breeders like Oofuchi, Kawakami,
Suzuki and one of the most amazing
places at that time was Hirasawa
(Marusei). He had one tank full of
85cm+ Chagoi, an incredible sight!
When I came back from that trip I
was really Koi Kichi, the Koi virus was
in my blood.
Around that time the Koi hobby in
Europe was also growing. There was
the first edition of the Koi show in
Arcen (I was there) and Belgium I
think one year later.
More and more I could find information from the
new magazines that appeared with names of
breeders and on Koi health and filtration.
But believe me, along the years I also found out it’s
not the most easy hobby. Koi can become sick, lose
colour, etc. but I tried to study more and more and
talk to the many people I met along my ‘Koi road’.
Mark: Can you tell me about how and when Kim’s
Koi started business? Where did it start trading
from? What made you decide to become a Koi
dealer?
Kim: I worked for my boss about 8 years when
more and more I was thinking about starting my
own business. One day I passed an abandoned
vegetable and flower shop in a quite interesting
location.
food but my heart was in the Koi of course. I knew
from personal experience that more than 50% of
the Koi hobbyists start their hobby with a pond
with lilies and goldfish so I wanted to help those
people from the start. It starts with a goldfish, then
a cheap tosai, a better tosai, then maybe a nisai
and up we go.
The start in 2001 wasn’t easy, first of all April 2001
became one of the most wet and rainy Aprils for
100 years or so so the first two months were really
calm and I was really worrying but then when
summer approached, slowly, more and more
people that I knew from the past, and also new
customers, found their way to Kim’s Koi.
After the summer I had to decide whether I was
going to take the risk of going to Japan in October
for the ikeage that year. But, then there was the
horrible attack on the twin towers
on September 11th 2001. The
world was shocked; everybody was
worrying about world peace and
the world economy.
Above and below. Kim’s Koi original premises
‘in my fantasy I could
see Kohaku and
Yamabuki swimming’
When I visited the place
(that was for rent) it was
a really big mess, full
of garbage, dirty and
overgrown by herbs
but, where tomatoes and bananas were lying,
in my fantasy I could see Kohaku and Yamabuki
swimming.
I resigned my job end of 2000 and started to work
all winter with my friends and family to turn this
desolated place in a cosy pond and Koi shop.
On April 15th 2001 Kim’s Koi opened his doors.
We were selling everything you need to build a
pond; filtration systems, pond fish, water plants,
Many people cancelled their buying trip to Japan
at that time because of 9/11 but I decided to follow
my heart and went. It was a bit of risk for me at that
time but once I was in Japan I really focussed on
the Koi. It appeared to be a good decision because
the breeders were really cooperative and when I
came back with my selection it was a success.
Mark: Please tell me about your Japan
experiences. What is the most exciting time for
you to visit Japan? Do you still get the same
excitement as the first time you visited or is it
greater now, if so why?
for a new location for the shop.
Kim: Since that trip I’ve visited Japan (95 % of the
time to Niigata) 3 times a year.
The old place was OK, but we had many practical
problems. The place was really too small, there
was not enough parking space, not enough
stocking space and it was impossible to build a
new building on that site because the land was
too narrow, but I wanted to stay on the same
road because it’s a really busy road where many
people pass which is good for business.
I also started to supply some shops in Belgium,
Holland and France so I could buy more and
more Koi and get good conditions in Japan.
When a Koi dealer gives me his trust I really try
to do my upmost to find really good Koi for
them also. That’s why for many years I have been
cooperating with dealers that stayed loyal for all
these years, but new ambitious ones are always
welcome.
Kim in Japan, the Marudo Harvest below appears on the ‘Harvest Time in Niigata’ DVD
My relationship with many breeders in Niigata
became very good over the years and it’s with
pleasure I always go back to this
fascinating part of Japan. My
favourite period is autumn of course
because it’s a very exciting period.
Every day there are new surprises
(Koi I mean), it’s very interesting to look for good
nisai with a challenging future and to see the Koi
that you left as azukari at a breeders’ place.
Unfortunately it seemed impossible to find a
place; there was nothing on the market because
the demand on this road is much higher than the
offer.
But, 2 years ago a customer contacted me to tell
that his parents were
selling their house and
that their neighbour
might do the same. To
make this story short, I
had to struggle through a lot of paperwork but I
got my permit to tear down the 2 old houses and
build a new, modern pond and Koi shop.
‘every year your Koi
knowledge is evolving’
Also every year your Koi knowledge is evolving,
some questions get resolved but also new
questions arise.
Mark: Everything was designed with a ‘blank
canvas’. What was your goal to create with the
new centre compared to the old premises?
It’s a constant evolution in your mind when you
really try to go profoundly in the hobby.
Kim: My goal is not to become a really big shop
but to have a nice, efficient shop where serious
hobbyists, both pond and Koi, can get good
advice and find products; food ,filters, etc. that
we really believe in and have tested and used
ourselves.
Mark: When did you start to plan the new
premises?
Kim: About 4 years ago I started the plans to look
Mark: Please explain your reasons for
choosing the filtration systems you
have, i.e. ProfiDrum and showers.
Kim: For the construction of my Koi
ponds what I am trying to create is a
stable, dynamic water quality. Through
the years I learned that stress caused
by all possible ways; water quality,
temperature, oxygen, handling,
etc. are the most important cause
of disease. So I try to do anything
possible to make the Koi feel happy
and at ease.
I really believe in filtration systems that
first remove all the debris followed
by really well oxygenated biological
chambers (Japanese matting or
moving bed) or trickle filters. Koi really
enjoy the water quality after it’s filtered
by trickle towers, also both growing
and health results are better when
trickles are used.
I started to work with Jan from
ProfiDrum because he’s also a
passionate person. I like these kinds of
people that do their work with pride
and passion.
It’s the same with most of the breeders
in Japan. They are mostly relatively
small companies but they really work
with pride and honour.
Mark: From your company name
‘Kim’s Koi’ the business is primarily
Koi based, but the new facility also
has goldfish, other coldwater fish
and plants, etc, and indeed many
customers were buying those
products at the opening weekend. Do
you see many customers coming and
starting with general coldwater fish
and progressing into Koi hobbyists?
Kim: I chose the name Kim’s Koi
many years ago because it’s easy
to remember and pronounce for
everyone, whatever language you
speak, Dutch, French, English even
Japanese. Even my Koi hobby started
with a ‘normal’ pond with goldfish and
plants. That’s why, from day 1, even in
the old shop, I decided to sell anything
that you need to build or maintain a
pond including goldfish and also other
common cold water fish and plants.
Most people that start with a ‘normal’
pond sooner or later buy a Koi, mostly
a tosai, sometimes a nisai. Besides
the fact I really am fascinated by Koi, I
can also appreciate a nice pond with
beautiful plant and water lilies.
To answer your question; yes I can see
that many people start with a goldfish
and end up with Koi. But many stay
with just a mixed pond and few
really become Koi kichi’s but they are
welcome in my shop.
Mark: Your opening weekend
appeared to be a huge success from
the turnout of people. What are your
thoughts and feelings on the opening
weekend?
Kim: I was really happy that the
opening weekend was big success.
I expected many visitors but not so
many! From the moment the opening
ceremony started on Saturday
morning until we closed the shop
on Sunday evening the visitors kept
coming. Amazing! It also confirmed for
me that moving to a new facility was
the right decision.
Above, the new premises under construction 26th March
2013.
Below, on opening day 29th June 2013.
Now more than a month after the
opening things are still quite busy. July
was a very sunny month in Belgium
which is good for our business. We are
trying to finish the last details in the
shop and the coming weeks we will
start to sell out our tosai and standard
nisai because we have to make space
for the upcoming Ikeage.
I am looking forward to October when
i return to Japan and more than ever I
am motivated to find nice Koi for our
new shop!
The ProfiDrum
When 2 Koi professionals both independently endorse a relatively little known product and bank so much on it then it’s
something that’s worth taking notice of.
The professionals in question are Mike Snaden of Yume Koi in the UK and Kim Cloet of Kim’s Koi in Belgium, the product in
question is the Netherlands designed and manufactured ProfiDrum, Rotary Drum Filter. You can read both Mike and Kim’s
endorsements elsewhere in Nishikigoi Digest International.
Rotary Drum Filters are not a new concept in themselves; they are well established and used in large scale aquaculture. Their
introduction into the Koi hobby is somewhat more recent.
The concept and its potential benefits for the Koi hobbyist are undeniable, ‘dirty’ water is fed inside a cylindrical drum of
‘micron’ mesh to sieve solid waste matter from it. Such a screen would block relatively quickly if just left as a static sieve
however, when the RDF senses the screen is getting blocked. or at a programmed interval, the screen is backwashed with
clean water flushing the waste automatically to waste.
At the recent opening of Kim’s Koi’s new premises we caught up with the designer and manufacturer of the ProfiDrum, Jan
Hogendoorn.
NDI – Jan, the ProfiDrum filter, tell
me when it first started as an idea for
you?
Jan – We started the company in 2010
but I’ve been designing drum filters
for over 7 years.
NDI – where did your first idea for the
drum filter come from?
The
ProfiDrum
Jan – A friend of mine told me about
drum filters but at that time they were
very very expensive so I decided to
make them a little bit cheaper and
introduce them to the Koi market.
NDI – What is your background
prior to the drum filter, were you an
engineer?
Jan – No, my main career was in sales
but I’m also a Koi enthusiast and I had
a great fantasy
NDI – So the first model you
produced, that was just for yourself?
Jan – Yes, just for myself, I bought a
very old one for €250 which I built on
and refreshed, that was my first drum.
It worked so well but there were a
lot of little faults in it, so I decided to
create a better one.
NDI – Tell me about the product
range now, what models are
available?
Jan – We have 2 lines, we have the
‘eco’ line and the ‘stainless steel’ line.
The ‘eco’ line consists of 4 models
for flow rates from 15000lph to
75000lph and the stainless steel one is
starting with flow rates of 35000lph to
100000lph. There’s also a 3rd line but
that’s an industry one with 300, 400,
500 and 1000 cubic metres per hour,
that’s a huge one, you can walk in that
one!
NDI – how many ponds out there
are now running ProfiDrum’s do you
think?
Jan – I think maybe 150, we have a
lot of customers in several countries,
England, Mike Snaden, South Africa,
The ProfiDrum
Indonesia, Denmark, Belgium, Holland so all
over.
NDI – if you were designing the perfect
system utilising a ProfiDrum what would it
be?
Jan – I think the drum filter with a Bakki
Shower and a Flowfriend pump, that’s
a good combination, a good marriage
between these 3 products.
NDI – You mentioned the Flowfriend, is that
a pump you get manufactured?
Jan – No, we’re not the manufacturer of
these pumps but they are very reliable, they
have great flow and require less watts than
others to run.
NDI – one of the issues with Bakki Showers
historically has always been the cost of
running a pump that was good enough to
pump to the heights required by a Bakki
Shower, the Flowfriend is available in how
many models?
Jan – There is just one model but it has a
power range from 50w to 700w with a flow
of 40000lph for only 250w.
NDI – so there is just one pump and you
change those settings on the pump?
Jan – Yes, you can just control the flow on
the pump.
NDI – if we look at the 2 models you have,
the Stainless Steel model and the plastic
model, apart from the outer casing they
are both identical, is that correct?
Jan – yes, they are the same, the dirt
collector and the drum itself are made of
stainless steel and the tank is made from
Polypropylene or stainless steel 316, an
upgrade of 304 grade SS. The thickness of
the stainless steel is 3mm.
Right, Jan demostrating the
backwash mechanism on a
ProfiDrum 65 Eco installed at
Kim’s Koi’s new premises.
The high pressure jets wash
the 70micron stainless steel
mesh screen sending waste
down the stainless steel ‘chute’
to waste.
NDI – for a hobbyist making a choice
between the models what are the
advantages or disadvantages of one over
the over?
Jan – Well Stainless steel is forever I think,
PP will last a long time but stainless steel is
always forever.
ProfiDrum 65e
NDI – So what sort of price range are we
looking at?
Jan – Prices range from 5500euros up to
10000euros for the hobbyist for the stainless
units.
ProfiDrum Eco line models
NDI – and for the polypropylene?
Jan – between 2000euros and 4000euros for
the biggest model.
For more information on the ProfiDrum
range visit www.ProfiDrum.com
FlowFriend pump
The 2013 BKKS National Koi Show
Since 2010 it seemed that the BKKS
National, the longest running Koi show
outside of Japan, and indeed older than
many Koi shows held in Japan, may
have been gone forever.
A number of issues had befallen it
over the last decade or so reducing
its appeal as evidenced by dwindling
visitor numbers, it had certainly become
a shadow of its former self from the
heydays of the 1990’s which saw in
excess of 10,000 people making an
annual pilgrimage to see some of
the very best Koi in the UK, and also
anywhere outside of Japan.
For some there was a determination not
to let ‘The National’ die and this year
saw it was resurrected after a 2 year
absence with support from many, not
least the Japanese breeder community.
‘The National’
is Back
Steve Gibbins reports on the 2013
BKKS National Koi Show
Photos by Steve Gibbins and Christine Woolger
Steve Gibbins the show Public Relations
Officer tells us more about the show.
For the past 2 years the BKKS National
has been absent from the UK show
calendar, something which I have
personally found disappointing.
In 2012 the BKKS saw a significant
change of its committee members,
and the National Show was clearly
something that as a new committee we
needed to address.
Before making any firm decisions we
first had to look at the past problems
and try to understand where things
had gone wrong. In financial terms the
2010 show was a disaster and caused
a considerable loss to the Society,
although personally I felt the show itself
was very well organised and certainly
an enjoyable event. Naturally this had
created caution for future events, as
to suffer another similar loss could
easily destroy the BKKS, and therefore
it had been difficult to encourage the
formation of a Show Committee from
amongst the
members.
on the society’s own funds.
Whilst looking at the finances, we also
had to establish whether there was still
a demand for the show. It is very easy to
be led by the few public voices without
making an attempt to engage the silent
majority, and we therefore published
a questionnaire which was available to
all UK Koi keepers, to get their views
on the society and in particular the
National Show. The results of this made
it very clear that “The National” was still
in demand with 97% of respondents
stating they wanted the show.
‘‘The National’ was
still in demand with
97% of respondents
stating they wanted
the show’
The lack of
a show had
also impacted
the Society
itself and the
membership
had seen a considerable decline.
Looking further into the history it
seemed that to some degree the
Society had been reliant on the show
profits as an income stream and this
was possibly something that needed
to change, as to have so much reliance
on the success of an annual event was
surely not a good basis for the Society.
We therefore decided to look at ways
in which the Society could become less
reliant on the show income, and at the
same time to ensure the show itself was
self supporting and would not impact
It was also clear that a
fundamental requirement
was a new venue, and a huge
amount of time was devoted
to searching for somewhere
suitable. We needed a venue
that was centrally located in
the country, had the right facilities,
suitable water and other resources, and
also offered the ability for expansion to
ensure we could build upon the show in
future years. On top of all this of course
it had to be affordable.
After many months we came across
the Heart of England Conference and
Events Centre, which ticked every
box. This was a beautiful location
with great facilities, opportunity to
expand considerably, and as per its
name was located right in the centre of
England. With a venue sorted and a clear
indication from the UK Koi community
that they wanted the show, all we
needed were the finances and we could
then move forward.
Realistically we needed a suitable
amount of working capital to ensure
that all the initial costs of the show could
be met, and that this was sufficient to
absorb any potential loss whilst the show
re-established itself. I was already aware
of the support amongst the trade to see
the show return, and with the agreement
of the committee I approached them to
see what we could do.
support. The BKKS National is held in
very high regard in Japan, and almost
every breeder recognises its importance.
These conversations were very positive
and resulted in many of the breeders not
only taking up advertising opportunities,
but also donating Koi to be auctioned
in support of the show, not to mention
sponsoring all of the major awards. In
addition to this we also received the
unprecedented support of the Nagaoka
Breeders Association and the Mayor of
Nagaoka City, who both provided us
with very special trophies for the Grand
Champion.
‘The BKKS National
is held in very high
regard in Japan’
After some discussion the
proposal I was able to put
back to the Committee
was that several
members of the trade were prepared to
provide the funds to ensure the show
could be held. In order to keep things
transparent and provide reassurance
that this was not an attempt to take
over the show, or to take any financial
benefit from it, the idea was that a non
profit organisation would be formed by
the trade members along with the BKKS,
specifically for the purpose of running
the show, and hence the formation of the
UK Nishikigoi Promotion Association.
Whilst speaking with the trade I had also
been talking with the Japanese breeders
to discuss ways in which they could offer
With the foundations in
place and time rapidly
progressing we then
had to take on the task
of actually forming a
Show Committee and getting the event
organised. By the time we were able
to arrange a Show Committee meeting
it was already late March and with the
show due to take place in mid June time
was against us. However despite the
team being small their commitment was
without question and as they say, “where
there is a will there is a way”.
Timescales and resources meant we
had to be realistic about what could be
achieved and many of our ideas needed
to be set aside for this year in favour of
getting the fundamentals in place. Our
primary focus was to get the show back
on the calendar and create a foundation
to build upon in 2014 and beyond.
This reality meant that we had to
scale back the size of the event from
previous years, especially the number
of vats available, which was considered
a sensible move due to it being a new
team, new venue etc. The welfare of the
Koi was paramount and the last thing
we wanted to find was that we had
insufficient resources, water, power etc
to adequately care for them. Therefore
we decided that 40 vats would be the
optimum number, and despite being
less than at previous Nationals would be
comparable to other large UK shows in
recent years.
Along with a number of UK hobbyists
who had already committed to exhibiting
their Koi as soon as they heard the show
was taking place, the remainder of the
available vats were soon filled, and it
was great to see so many prominent
names on the exhibitors list. This may
sound a little elitist, which is certainly
not the case as the show is open to all
hobbyists, however having had to limit
the availability of vats for this year it was
important to ensure that there would be
the highest quality of Koi on display.
The 2013 BKKS National at the Heart of England
Conference and Events Centre.
Another thing we had to consider
was how many trade stands to make
available. Although it was clear that
the show was in demand, having been
unable to confirm it for so long meant
there was a possibility that a lot of
people would have already made other
arrangements on that weekend, and we
also had to take into account the low
attendance in 2010. We needed to ensure
a balance between there being enough
trade exhibitors to satisfy the anticipated
visitor numbers, but at the same time that
there would be sufficient attendance to
support the dealers, and therefore that
they would return in future years.
All these things, along with the countless
other tasks required involved
a huge amount of time
for the few of us involved,
especially as we were
effectively working from
a clean sheet with almost
no historical information or expertise
available.
having worked on building the show I
needed to get back and pick up stock for
the weekend, and therefore I didn’t arrive
back at the showground until late on the
Friday. I had been hearing good reports
throughout the day about the Koi which
had been arriving, but it was only when
I got to see them for myself that I could
appreciate the initial success. What we
were lacking in quantity had certainly
been compensated for in quality and the
display of Koi was simply incredible. As I
walked around the vats it was impossible
to find one which was not worthy of time
spent admiring
the contents,
which is
unusual even
in Japan.
‘the rain was pretty
constant and at times
extremely heavy’
Therefore it was almost a relief to arrive at
the showground on the Monday morning
and finally put all the preparation to the
test as we began the show build. After a
very long week of late nights the show was
finally in place and it was then out of our
hands and up to the exhibitors and visitors
to decide the success of the show.
Despite all our speculation we really
did not know exactly what Koi would
be arriving or how many visitors would
attend until the actual day. I had to return
back home near the end of the week, as
With an outstanding display of Koi all
benched and ready for judging there was
nothing further to do but wait until the
following morning and say a final prayer
for good weather.
Unfortunately my prayers weren’t
answered and despite a reasonably dry
start to Saturday morning the heavens
soon opened and thereby followed
rain which would continue for most of
the weekend. Despite this however
the visitors soon started to arrive in
their numbers and there were points
throughout the morning where the
vehicles were queued several hundred
metres up the drive and back out onto the
main road waiting to get in. In defiance
of the weather there was a really positive
mood throughout the show with everyone
seemingly happy just to see it back up and
running
Although the rain was pretty constant and
at times extremely heavy, the BKKS Judges
persevered throughout the day and
performed an excellent job of assessing
the Koi and making their decisions,
completing everything in plenty of time.
The Grand Champion was awarded to a
simply stunning Sanke owned by Raad
Hassan and produced by Sakai Fish
Farm. To my mind this Koi alone made
a visit to the show worthwhile and is an
outstanding example of the variety. It
isn’t often, even in Japan, to have the
opportunity to see a Sanke with such
incredibly well placed and strong sumi,
perfectly complimenting the excellent
underlying kohaku pattern. I really
hope this Koi continues to be exhibited
and we are all able to enjoy its future
development, which really puts into
perspective the opportunities shows such
as the National offer to most of us who can
only dream of owning such Koi ourselves.
It rained!
The 2013 Grand Champion
All of the other awards were equally as
deserving and it was great to have these
announced at the show party on the
Saturday evening with pictures displayed
on a huge screen whilst one of the judges
provided an insight into the reasoning
behind the decision.
The Show Party itself received a lot of
attention during the planning stages as we
felt it important as the National Society to
put some effort into the social side of the
hobby. As I have already mentioned we
were extremely lucky that several Japanese
breeders had donated Koi to be auctioned
on the night in support of the show, and
our auctioneer for the evening was the
award winning comedian Russ Williams.
Russ actually hosted the entire evening
for us and did an incredible job of keeping
everyone entertained and ensuring the
party was a huge success.
event and with much more time and some
experience on our side we can start to
build upon the foundations laid. We have a
lot of ideas and with the continued support
of the Koi community I’m sure that the
show will once again become an event not
to be missed.
The BKKS has already announced the
dates for the 2014 BKKS National Koi
Show as 21st and 22nd June 2014.
A great addition to the support we
received from the breeders was the fact
that three of them were able to spare
the time to travel from Japan to attend
the show. We were both delighted and
honoured to have Takahiro Iitsuka (Matsue)
Takahiro Omosako (Omosako) and Yuji
Tanaka (Okawa) not only visit for the
weekend, but also take an active part in the
events including the presentations.
To find out more about the show and
to keep up to date with all the latest
news keep an eye on the website:
Despite the compromises we had to make
for this year, the show turned out to be a
great event. The quality of Koi, the number
of visitors and the overall atmosphere
and positive feedback all exceeded our
expectations.
or Twitter:
As a result of this it’s great that we are
already in the process of planning the 2014
www.thenationalkoishow.co.uk
Alternatively follow them on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
thenationalkoishow
www.twitter.com/nationalkoishow
For more information about the BKKS
itself, or to join the society, visit:
www.bkks.co.uk
The 2013 BKKS National Koi Show received incredible support from the Japanese breeder
community who sponsored the trophies for the major prizes. The two largest trophies were
donated by the Nagaoka Breeders Association and the Mayor of Nagaoka City.
Grand Champion
Mature Champion
Jumbo Champion
Trophy
Sponsored by
Trophy
Sponsored by
Trophy
Sponsored by
Dainichi Koi
Farm
Nishikigoi
Niigata Direct
TORAZO
Owned by Raad Hassan
Owned by Sameh Saad
Owned by James Carter
Adult Champion
Young Champion
Baby Champion
Trophy
Sponsored by
Trophy
Sponsored by
Trophy
Sponsored by
Isa Koi Farm
Marudo Koi
Farm
Marujyu Koi
Farm
Owned by Paul Williams
Owned by Anthony Grey
Owned by Melvyn Platts
Best in Size All Varieties - Size 8
Sponsored by Matsue Nishikigoi Centre, Shimane
1st Place
John Hellens
2nd Place
Raad Hassan
3rd Place
James Carter
Sponsored by Sakai Fish Farm, Hiroshima
1st Place
Sameh Saad
2nd Place
James Carter
Size 7: Above 75cm-85cm
3rd Place
James Carter
Size 8: Above 85cm
Sponsored by Takigawa Koi Farm, Hiroshima
1st Place
Paul Williams
2nd Place
Raad Hassan
3rd Place
Phillip & Jack Dallison
Sponsored by Omosako Koi Farm, Hiroshima
1st Place
Chip Kawalsingh
2nd Place
Chip Kawalsingh
3rd Place
Julie Steele
Sponsored by Momotaro, Okayama
1st Place
Anthony Grey
2nd Place
Anthony Grey
3rd Place
Wayne Taylor
Sponsored by Okawa Nishikgoi Centre, Fukuoka
1st Place
Kevin Paul
2nd Place
Anthony Grey
3rd Place
Bob Robson
Sponsored by Ueno Fish Farm, Kumamoto
1st Place
Melvyn Platts
2nd Place
Dave Crellin
3rd Place
Dave Perry
Sponsored by Maruhiro Koi Farm, Ojiya
1st Place
Peter and Margaret Taylor
2nd Place
Ronnie Dibble
3rd Place
Bob Robson
Above, the BKKS Judging Standards Committee judges, left to right, Walter Reid, David
Pope, Keith Bertie, Gary Hillier, Carol McCall, Lloyd Bartley, Bernie Woollands, Heather
Payne, Allan Tait, Keiron Burns, Stefan Malm.
Below, discussing and voting for the winning Koi.
Despite the English ‘summer’ weather not being at its best the visitors still
came to ‘The National’. There was plenty to see undercover in the trade
displays when the rains came.
Right. the judges had to battle the
weather to complete their task.
Saturday night saw the BKKS stage a show party to put something back into the social side of the
hobby. Hosted by award winning comedian Russ Williams. Amongst other things the party included the
announcement of the winners and a special auction of the Koi pictured below, donated by breeders in Japan.
Thank you from ‘The National’
The National Koi Show would not
have been possible without the
help of all the people involved; the
show committee, volunteers, judges,
health and water teams, Koi and trade
exhibitors, we would like to extend our
appreciation to every one of them.
Our Sponsors:
Evolution Aqua
Hikari
Profidrum
Our UKNPA Show
Partners:
Evolution Aqua
Selective Koi Sales
Shop4Koi
The Koi Collection
Yume Koi
Biosecurity and
water testing:
Palintest
Fish Vet Group
NT Labs
The Japanese Breeders:
Nishikigoi Niigata Direct Nogami
Omosako
Sakai Fish Farm
Isa
Okawa
Torazo
Marujyu
Ueno
Dainichi
Maruhiro
Shintaro
Izumiya
Matsue
Marudo
Takigawa
Momotaro
Also the Nagaoka Breeders Association and the City
of Nagaoka for Grand Champion trophies
Finally we would
like to thank all of
those people who
took the time to
visit the show.
See you in
2014
Goshiki - In Detail
Goshiki, a five coloured fish, created
in the early 1900s have developed
tremendously in recent years to the
point where some consider them the
4th Gosanke, in place of Shiro Utsuri.
In this article we’ll look at the history
of the variety, some of the most
prominent breeders and the huge
array of different styles that exist.
History
According to Dr. Takeo Kuroki’s book
‘Modern Nishikigoi’ Goshiki were
produced by crossing Asagi with Aka
Sanke or Aka Bekko in 1918. According
to Shuji Fujita’s ‘Nishikigoi Mondo’
a primitive Goshiki existed from the
mutation of Narumi Asagi and were
known as Goshiki Asagi.
Goshiki
in detail
Masayuki Amano’s 1968 ‘General
Survey of Fancy Carp’ gives almost no
mention to Goshiki, indeed the only
references appear in reproductions
of Masamoto Kataoka’s gene trees.
The first shows Goshiki Asagi being
produced from Narumi Asagi and Aka
Bekko, to then be bred with Kohaku
to produce Koromo. The other shows
Goshiki coming from Narumi Asagi.
Hiroi Koi farm in Ojiya, Niigata, are
undoubtedly one of the leading
breeders of Goshiki. Interestingly in
an interview in ‘Koishi’ Kuniyasu Hiroi,
who started breeding in 1958, states
that his grandfather, a Goshiki breeder,
shared his vision for Goshiki with him
just prior to passing away. He wanted
to produce an Asagi with hi markings
on its back.
Above and below, Kataoka’s gene tree references to ‘Goshiki’
In the second edition of ‘Modern
Nishikigoi’, published in 1987, Kuroki
states; ‘Goshiki look beautiful when
the water temperature is warm. Cool
water temperatures deepen the Koi’s
colours, and so under these conditions
they can be mistaken for Magoi.
Today some breeders are trying to
develop new types of Goshiki with
clear Asagi patterns.’
The above description is reminiscent
of many Goshiki that could be seen in
the UK around the late 80’s and early
90’s.
The ‘Unique Koi’ section of ‘Modern
Nishikigoi’ provides some suggestion
of the interest that was stirring around
Goshiki production at the time. Whilst
still considered as Kawarigoi at that
time, only one reference to Goshiki,
and one picture, appears in the main
section of the book. The ‘Unique Koi’
section however contains no less than
22 examples labeled as variants of
Goshiki, and several others that would
now be termed Goshiki. Interestingly
he also makes use of the terms ‘New
Goshiki’ and ‘Modern Goshiki’.
Below, example Goshiki from the
1986 book ‘An Interpet Guide to
Koi’ by Barry James.
Below, the example
of Goshiki in ‘Modern
Nishikigoi’.
Goshiki - In Detail
What is very apparent is that these Goshiki were a very
long way from the quality Goshiki we see today.
One of the reasons that we’ve seen such development
and improvement in Goshiki is undoubtedly the
varieties’ promotion from Kawarigoi to a class of their
own by both the Shinkokai and ZNA during the 1990s.
Coupled with that, the fact that there is such variance
within the variety in terms of style, as we’ll cover later,
this clearly gives breeders the opportunity to make their
own mark on it and potentially create what becomes
considered the definitive Goshiki.
Such is the rise to prominence in Goshiki, several years
ago whilst talking to a number of young breeders they
stated that they considered Goshiki had overtaken Shiro
Utsuri as the number 4 variety behind the big 3 Gosanke.
Already at All Japan level we’ve seen Goshiki take
Kokugyo awards and without question the variety truly
dominates the Sakura award class. At the 2013 All Japan
Koi show 7 of the 17 Sakura awards, given to the best
non-Gosanke in each size class, were taken by Goshiki, 3
more Sakura winners were Ginrin Goshiki.
At the heart of almost every good Goshiki nowadays is
a Kohaku pattern. The attributes that make a desirable
Kohaku pattern remain true with Goshiki. However
the ‘Goshiki’ pattern plays such an important role in
completing the package.
Perhaps the easiest way to progress this is to look at
some examples of high quality Goshiki and discuss their
relative merits which we’ll do later in the article.
Breeders
As mentioned an ever increasing number of breeders
are trying to produce Goshiki, the breeders listed below
are ones for whom Goshiki is a specialist variety.
Niigata Maruju Koi Farm
Kanno Koi Farm
Hiroi Koi Farm
Koda Koi Farm
AO Aokiya
Otsuka Koi Farm
Hosokai Koi Farm
I suggest it won’t be that long until we see Goshiki
featuring amongst Grand Champions at local shows and
young Koi shows in Japan.
Aichi -
Appreciation
Saitama-
When a variety has so many different styles, and often
the most desirable or acclaimed examples being unique,
it’s quite difficult to write about appreciation. Some
people get hung up about the lack of ‘5 colours’ as
described by the original definition.
Minuma Koi Farm
Above, a ‘New Goshiki’ from Kuroki’s Modern Nishikigoi.
Below, a ‘Kindai Goshiki’ from Kuroki’s Modern Nishikigoi.
Kondo Koi Farm
Goshiki - In Detail
Mameshibori Goshiki
The Goshiki on the left is one that, it’s fair to say, created a
huge amount of excitement in the variety.
‘Mameshibori’ refers to the black scalation pattern style on
the Koi. The term ‘Mameshibori’ is also used in relation to
very old style Goshiki, this example is completely different.
If we look at the picture of the Koi below we can see that
the sumi has got incredibly strong, indeed in places the
pattern is barely recognisable.
This Goshiki featured a great beni pattern which was
immaculately blemish free. The mameshibori pattern very
defined and even over the whole body, coupled with a
great body shape.
Mameshibori is the name given to the spotted fabric often
seen being worn by sushi chefs in restaurants.
This particular Koi first appeared on the show scene 2010 at
the All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show where it took the
Best in Variety prize. (inset picture left)
The Koi was bred by Hiroi Koi Farm and they suggest this is
perhaps the ultimate ‘style’ for Goshiki for them.
At the 2010 All Japan Show the Koi was purchased by
Futoshi Mano of Dainichi Koi Farm.
In November 2011 Dainichi offered the Koi, then 6 years
old and 75cm, for auction at the 1st Dainichi Auction where
it was the most expensive lot of the day, demand was
high from several famous Goshiki breeders interested in
acquiring her. This year the Koi has actually returned to
Hiroi as a parent.
Above, the Goshiki with 2 males at Hiroi Koi Farm, May 2013.
Below, a sushi chef wearing a mameshibori headband.
It’s interesting to note that the sumi on this particular
Goshiki seems quite volatile.
Comparing the 2 pictures on the left from February 2010
and November 2011, the nose sumi spot has completely
gone yet the sumi spot on the shoulder has become
stronger.
Goshiki - In Detail
Kindai Goshiki
Kindai, or modern, Goshiki feature areas of clean white skin whilst having Kohaku style beni markings and black or grey Goshiki ‘robing’. It is this subset that perhaps gives us the most
unique Goshiki, Koi such as the 4 pictured below, all of which have won at All Japan level.
Bred by Maruju Koi Farm this is a very famous
Goshiki which has won the Best in Variety
award at the All Japan Show several times,
most recently 2013 when it was also 85bu
Sakura, and overall Sakura, Champion.
The sumi pattern has receded considerably.
This Koi is now a parent at Kanno Koi Farm.
At the 2010 All Japan Wakagoi Show, this
Goshiki from Kondo Koi Farm won Best in
Variety and the 58bu Sakura prize.
The clean beni pattern, the sumi border to
the head pattern, the white dorsal area with
the subtle mameshibori type pattern, the
white fins and tail, all combine to make a
stunning example of Kindai Goshiki.
When I first saw this 60bu Goshiki out of the
corner of my eye at the 2013 All Japan Show
I questioned for a split second, Goshiki or
Showa. Coming from Minuma Koi Farm it is
certainly Goshiki and took the Sakura prize.
Again we see an interesting head pattern
and lovely clean beni markings which
interact with the sumi and shiroji perfectly.
This 55bu Goshiki, bred by Minuma Koi Farm,
took the Kokugyo prize at the 2011 All Japan
Show. It is a truly unique Koi.
To have won Kokugyo it has beaten a large
number of Gosanke in the eyes of the judges.
As amazing as the Koi looked in January
2011, in 2012 it looked like a Kohaku!
Goshiki - In Detail
Kuro Goshiki
Kuro Goshiki feature a black background with beni pattern on top and can be incredibly imposing Koi. As can be seen from the examples below the sumi can vary from being solid jet
black to having an element of vignette to it. As we can also see from the examples below, the beni can also feature sumi markings in different styles.
This Goshiki took the 65bu Sakura award
at 2013 All Japan Koi Show. It was bred by
Takigawa Koi Farm.
This Goshiki, bred by Oyama Fish Farm, was
awarded the 80cm Sakura prize at the 2013
All Japan Koi Show.
The same Goshiki, photographed in March 2009 on the left when it took 53bu Sakura award
at the All Japan Wakagoi Show and on the right in February 2010 when it took 65bu Sakura
award at the All Japan Koi Show.
An incredibly imposing Goshiki, the
contrast between the immaculately clean
and interesting beni pattern and the sumi
background is amazing. The white tips of the
fins and nose finish it perfectly.
At first glance the head pattern makes a
very loud statement. The sumi on the beni
pattern is not as refined as the example on
the right, however it’s a big Goshiki which
still has a youthful aura.
Note the significant change in head pattern in the space of 11 months, in the complete
reverse of what people may expect, it would be normal with varieties like Showa and Utsuri
for the sumi to have come up, not disappear as it’s done in this case.
A very striking example with fine and neat sumi scale edging on the beni markings.
Goshiki - In Detail
Nezu Goshiki
The Nezu Goshiki feature a grey (nezu) background with beni markings on it. The exact style of the nezu background can vary from being Asagi like, to being a more even colouration.
This style of Goshiki almost has a ‘sheen’, a metallic luster, to the grey background.
This Goshiki, bred by Kanno Koi Farm,
was best in size 45bu at the 2012 Niigata
Nogyosai Show, beating all Gosanke in the
same size class.
Interesting and clean beni pattern is set off
against the grey background which has a
subtle dark edging to each scale.
Another Kanno Goshiki from the 2012 Niigata This Kanno Goshiki was photographed at the
2009 Niigata Nogyosai where is was awarded
Nogyosai, this one best in size 40bu, again
best in 65bu.
beating all Gosanke, and other varieties, in
that size class.
The grey background is rather more subtle
Again the red pattern is unblemished and set than that of the 2 to the left.
against a grey background which is not quite
as defined as the one on the left.
As with all these examples the beni pattern is
perfectly clean with no blemishes.
The Nezu Goshiki really is Kanno’s style. This
last example was photographed at the 2013
All Japan Koi Show.
Of the examples here it has the most vivid of
background patterns, and again a very clean
and balanced red pattern.
Stunning Koi, it wasn’t a major prize winner.
Goshiki - In Detail
Ginrin Goshiki
Goshiki of all styles are also groduced with ginrin scalation. They can make for incredibly striking Koi as can be seen below.
This Hiroi Ginrin Goshiki won the 50bu Sakura This 80bu Minuma Goshiki was awarded
Best in Variety Ginrin B at the 2013 All Japan
prize at the 2013 All Japan Koi Show.
Koi Show.
The background base colour is grey, as in the
Nezu Goshiki pictured previously, and shows The grey Nezu Goshiki base is much lighter
than the previous example, the ginrin
off the ginrin scalation extremely well.
scalation is also much less prominent.
The simple stepped red pattern exhibits a
The black marks on the head spoil it a little.
neat faint black pattern without speckles.
This 40bu Goshiki, again bred by Minuma,
was the Sakura prize winner at the 2013 All
Japan Koi Show.
This 63bu Ginrin Goshiki was Best in Variety
Ginrin B at the 2010 All Japan Wakagoi Show,
the breeder is not known.
The black Kuro Goshiki background shows
off the ginrin scalation superbly and the
interesting red pattern is blemish free.
This Koi has elements of several styles, the
head has the kind of markings we see on the
kindai and kuro examples previously. The
scales have black patterning but it is not as
solid as the examples of Kuro Goshiki.
A very striking little Goshiki.
Goshiki - In Detail
Doitsu Goshiki and Tancho Goshiki
Doitsu and Tancho variants are also produced, the latter being much more frequently seen than Doitsu Goshiki which are produced by just a few breeders. Tancho Goshiki come in all the
different styles featured above, Kindai, Kuro and Nezu, as well as Ginrin.
This Doitsu Goshiki was photographed at
the 2009 Nagaoka Koi Show, the breeder is
unknown.
A very unique style of Koi not seen very
often. It displays characteristics of a Kindai
Goshiki but with Doitsu scales.
This example of Doitsu Goshiki, with a grey
background colour, was photographed at
the 2012 Niigata Nogyosai Show, again the
breeder is unknown.
This Kuro Tancho Goshiki was awarded
Best in Variety Tancho at the 2010 All Japan
Wakagoi Show.
The jet black body and head and the red
Tancho marking make for a very striking
Whilst an unusual Koi to see, it kind of lacks
Koi, however, the Tancho marking itself is
refinement, the grey background is uneven
and there are black speckles on both the grey not great in terms of both its shape and
placement.
and red.
This example of a Kindai Tancho Goshiki was
bred by Otsuka Koi Farm and sold at the
spring 2011 Niigata Breeders Auction.
As we’ve seen with previous examples there
is lots of likelihood the pattern would change
over time, but as it stands an interesting and
unique example.
Goshiki - In Detail
Some unusual Goshiki variants
Goshiki are crossed with a number of other varieties by breeders seeking something a little unusual, or in a bid to create new varieties. Here are some examples.
This is an example of Goshiki Showa bred by
This Koi was photographed at the 2009
Nagaoka Koi Show, the breeder is not known. Otsuka Koi Farm, one of the few places that
specifically breeds this variety.
It probably has just about enough defined
The white areas of the body exhibit grey
‘blocks’ of sumi on the body to classify as a
Nezu Goshiki markings whilst also displaying
Goshiki Tancho Sanke.
the characteristics of a normal Showa.
I would suggest that it is a Koi that would
Goshiki Sanke are also produced.
change dramatically over time.
This unique Koi, bred by AO Aokiya (Aoki), a
specialist Goshiki breeder, is the result of a
cross between a Goshiki and a Ginga.
This is another unique Koi created by
Aoki, a cross between Goshiki and Kujaku,
photographed in 2010.
This Koi won first prize in the 30bu Kawarigoi Interestingly it displays all the characteristics
of Kujaku but the orange pattern is free of
class at the 2010 All Japan Koi Show.
scale pattern.
Indonesia Focus - Visit to Samurai Koi Centre
There is no question that the Koi hobby is
in a boom time in Indonesia.
2012 saw its first ‘World Champion’ when
Hartono Soekwanto took the Grand
Champion prize at the All Japan Koi Show,
which you can read about elsewhere in this
issue.
A walk around the 2012 All Japan Show
after the prizes were announced it
seemed at times that almost every vat
was adorned with certificates with the
names of Indonesian Koi hobbyists such as
Hartono, Didi Wikari, Hendrawan Sudarpo,
Yonanes Jusuf, Felix Denanta, to name but
a few, and all with one thing in common,
customers of Kiki Sutarki at Samurai Koi
Centre.
Visit to
Samurai
Koi Centre
As the hobby expands so inevitably does
the number of dealers. Speaking to several
of the newer ones whilst in Indonesia they
cited Kiki Sutarki as being their mentor.
There is no question, purely on show
results alone, that Samurai Koi Centre is the
leading dealer in Indonesia; as you’ll see
elsewhere in this issue Samurai Koi Centre
handled all of the major winning Koi at the
11th ZNA All Indonesia Koi Show.
The original Samurai Koi House in Bandung.
Banners around the walls depict many of the
award winning Koi supplied by Samurai Koi
Centre, not least the 2013 All Japan Grand
Champion ‘M Legend’
Having kept tropical fish since a child it
was in 1991 that Kiki became attracted to
the many different colours and varieties
of Koi and started keeping locally bred
ones, Japanese Koi being hard to find in
Indonesia in those days.
In 2000 Kiki decided to venture into the
Koi business starting Samurai Koi Centre
from his home utilising the several ponds
that had already been built, whilst still
continuing his existing architecture and
interior design business.
Kiki describes the period around the year
2000 as ‘the sunrise for the hobby’.
In 2006 Kiki went full time stating, ‘I realised
I needed to focus on the Koi business,
because for Koi business you must be
focused’.
It was around this time that Samurai Koi
Centre really started to be noticed when
Kiki supplied hobbyist Yohanes Jusuf with
the Koi that became Grand Champion at
the All Indonesia Young Koi Show.
‘Afterwards many other big hobbyists such
as Haryanto P and Didi Wikara came to my
place and wanted to challenge for Grand
Champion. That was the real start for
Samurai.’
Whilst the original facility was fine for
retailing Koi it didn’t give Kiki the control
he wanted, and his customers’ Koi needed,
for show preparation, ‘because of the
temperature in the original place I cannot
finish white skin.’
Whilst cooler than many Indonesian cities,
Bandung, home of Samurai Koi Centre,
still maintains an average year round
temperature of over 23°
C, average daily
highs are in excess of 29°
C.
Samurai Koi Centre’s second Koi house was
constructed in Cihanjuang, about 15km
north of the main city, and higher above
sea level, in 2009.
The Koi house contains a total of 18 ponds.
The 2 largest are 200 tons each and sized
22m x 3.5m. There are 2 smaller 70 ton
ponds, 3 50ton ponds and then then 11
ponds sized between 6 and 15 tons.
‘The greenhouse temperature stays around
22-23°
C which I think is perfect. The
greenhouse is used to keep my customers
fish, for finishing for Koi shows.’
This Koi house is home to some of the finest
Koi to have ever left Japan, Koi that have
won at the top level in Japan either taking
Kokugyo or Best in Variety prizes at the All
Japan Koi Show.
Above, the Koi house at Cihanjuang which contains a total of 18 ponds and over 700 tons of water.
Below, some of the Koi house residents.
Koi shows are a huge part of the hobby
in Indonesia something which has both
positives and negatives for Kiki. Naturally
the prestige and honour of supplying a
never ending list of ‘champions’ is great for
business demand can outstrip supply.
‘Yes, this is a problem, everyone in the
hobby likes the competition of a Koi show,
for sure they want a champion, whether
it’s a small show, medium show or big Koi
show. I try my best for this.’
Grand Champion
Kohaku
4th Asia Cup
Best in Variety
Asagi
2011 All Japan
Best in Variety
Ginrin A
2011All Japan
60bu Sakura
Doitsu Shiro Utsuri
2011 All Japan
50bu Sakura
Ginrin Goshiki
2013 All Japan
Not only that, many of the Koi are left in
Kiki’s care meaning that he is not only
responsible for sourcing the Koi in the first
place but then also preparing it for the
show itself.
through either the bubblebead or
polygeyser to remove the large waste and
then return this to the pond. The pond is
1.6m deep and from the middle I feed this
to the biological chamber.’
‘Yes, it’s actually not easy for me because
there are many many Koi shows. I must
work very hard for hobbyists and ensure
that Koi are prepared for the different
shows, taking care of the skin, colour and
body, I work very hard for this.’
Having handled so many special Koi
through Samurai Koi Centre it’s perhaps no
surprise which is the most special for him.
Of course, the aforementioned water
temperature afforded by the elevated
location of the Koi house is just one factor
in caring for and preparing the Koi.
Originally the house utilised ground water
however it was found that the water
was too high in nitrate, Kiki explains the
solution.
‘The water is prepared using reverse
osmosis. The natural water here is very
high in nitrate and only RO can reduce that.
The RO water is mixed with the natural
water to maintain a pH of 7; the RO water
itself has a very low pH.’
Around the Koi house there is a range of
different commercial filtration systems
being used including BubbleBead and
Polygeyser units however these are used
purely for mechanical filtration.
‘From the bottom drain I put the water
‘The most special Koi is ‘M Legend’ I got
from M san. I’m thinking the best Sanke
is still at Sakai fish farm, runner up at the
All Japan Young Koi Show in 2010, Didi
Wikara’s fish, I think that is the best Sanke
for me because the pattern is very nice.
I think if it can become 90 and the body
becomes big it will be a very good Sanke.’
Above, looking down from Cihideung as the
night falls.
Right, a variety of commercial filters in use for
mechanical filtration in the new Koi house.
Below, ‘Team Samurai’, essential for keeping
the operation running and preparing Koi for the
many shows throughout the year.
Contacting Samurai Koi Centre
Head Office & Showroom:
Taman Mutiara D IV
No. 24 Cibabat Cimahi
Bandung
West Java
Indonesia
Phone: (022) 665 33 60
Fax: (022) 663 08 67
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.samuraikoi.com
This is the Sakai Sanke that Kiki refers to in the article above. This Koi has many fantastic attributes. The skin truly glows, even as an 80cm+ Koi. At this stage her volume maybe works
against her. As Kiki says, it will be interesting to see how she grows and her body develops. A future champion? Watch this space.
April 2010, 63bu, nisai. Adult Champion,
All Japan Wakagoi Show
January 2011, 70bu, sansai, Mature Champion,
All Japan Koi Show
February 2013, 80bu, gosai,
All Japan Koi Show
Indonesia Focus - 11th ZNA All Indonesia Koi Show
There are probably more Koi shows in
Indonesia than any other country, even
Japan. The Indonesian hobbyists certainly
enjoy this competitive aspect of the hobby.
Barely a weekend seems to pass without a
show of some kind whether it’s a local area
show, a breeder show, a young Koi show or
one of the several major events.
Between 7th and 9th June 2013 the
Bandung Chapter of the ZNA staged the
11th All Indonesia Koi Show, a show they
labelled the ‘family Koi show’, in a bid to
encourage family involvement and thus
grow the hobby further.
The show was staged at Villa Istana Bunga,
situated in Lembang, approximately 15km
north of the city of Bandung.
Being situated in the mountains the climate
was somewhat cooler than Bandung,
and far cooler than Jakarta, indeed the
show organisers had offered entrants the
opportunity to have aquarium type heaters
in the pools to warm the water.
During the course of Friday 1218 Koi arrived
at the show entered by 240 participants,
significant numbers by any standards.
The show classes followed the All Japan
Shinkokai Show classes (see table) and size
classes were from 15bu to 80bu+.
Above, a cool misty morning over Villa Istana, venue of the 11th ZNA All Indonesia Family Koi Show.
Saturday morning saw the judges set
Below, the show pools were spread between 2 adjoining sports halls at the venue.
about their first task of the day, selecting
an overall Grand Champion, an award that
went to an 81cm Showa, bred by Dainichi
Koi Farm and owned by Dr Priche Dewantie.
In addition to the overall Grand Champion,
Grand Champions were also awarded in the
Sakura class, Botan class and Tsubaki class,
recognising non-Gosanke entries.
Outside, but thankfully under cover
from the rain, the judges judge the
smaller Koi in plastic bags as is now
the standard in Japan.
Above, the judges inspecting a candidate for GC.
Below, the folder contains pictures of candidates.
Above and below, Yohanes Jusuf and Hendrawan
Sudarpo undertake the ballot for GC.
As the judges make their votes the
data is input live into the computer
system using handheld tablets.
The judges
Udin
Tukang Koi Farm
Indonesia
Takayoshi Omosako Tomoyoshi Kondo
Omosako Koi Farm
Kondo Koi Farm
Hiroshima, Japan
Aichi, Japan
Hidekazu Yoshida
Daisuke Maeda
Odakan
Momotaro Koi Farm
Kanagawa, Japan
Okayama, Japan
Paul Ashton
Koi Bito
Japan
Kentaro Sakai
Sakai Fish Farm
Hiroshima, Japan
Ryuki Narita
Narita Koi Farm
Aichi, Japan
Katsuyuki Hoshino
Hoshikin Koi Farm
Niigata, Japan
Hiroshi Mano
Dainichi Toyota
Aichi, Japan
Samurai Koi Centre
Oriental Koi
Seiryuu Koi
Hiroshi Products
The entrance hall, situated between the 2 sports halls, contained pools into which the 5
major winners were placed so visitors could see them and several dealer booths.
A number of dealer booths were also situated outside.
Beautiful hand-crafted 1m long fibreglass Koi models.
Grand Champion
11th ZNA All Indonesia Koi Show
Showa
81cm
Owned by Dr Priche Dewantie
Bred by Dainichi Koi Farm
Handled by Samurai Koi Centre
Grand Champion
Runner up
11th ZNA All Indonesia Koi Show
Sanke
88cm
Owned by Didi Wikara
Bred by Sakai Fish Farm
Grand Champion - Sakura
Grand Champion - Tsubaki
Grand Champion - Botan
Owned by Hendrawan Sudarpo
82cm
Bred by Omosako Koi Farm
Owned by Gladdys Kwan
79cm
Bred by Sakai Fish Farm
Owned by Hendrawan Sudarpo
95cm
Bred by Marusei Koi Farm
Superior Champions
Left to right, Johanes Yusuf, Hendrawan Sudarpo, Daisuke Maeda
(Momotaro Koi Farm), Dr Priche Dewantie, Hernando Yowono
Young Champions
Left to right, Andrew dan Giovanni, Agustiono Kusumadi,
Tomoyoshi Kondo (Kondo Koi Farm), M Busron Hanafi, Evan F.
Santoso
Mature Champions
Adult Champions
Left to right, Herman Witono (Gosanke and Botan), Djudju Suryana,
Paul Ashton (Koi Bito), Didi Wikara
Left to right, Robertus Hartono, Hendrawan Sudarpo, Hiroshi Mano
(Dainichi Toyota), Hardjo Chandra, Slamet Kurniawan
Junior Champions
Baby Champions
Left to right, SKF, Dani Purnama, Katsuyuki Hoshino (Hoshikin Koi
Farm), Edwar Gani
Left to right, Pagarsih Community, Joko Widi Wijayanto, Pagarsih
Community, Hoir
Note, names are of the prize winner, picture may be of a representative
Mini Champions
Male Champions
Left to right, Medi Katroo, Hernando Yowono, Kentaro Sakai (Sakai
Fish Farm), Melati Koi, Endra
Points and entry
Left to right, Wilson Subandi, Takayoshi Omosako (Omosako Koi
Farm), Herman Witono
Most Handling
Left to right, Tomoyoshi Kondo
(Kondo Koi Farm), Edwar Gani
Left to right, Samurai Koi
Centre, Hartono Soekwanto
Show Summary
Most Points
Edwar Gani (53.24
points)
Most Entries
Edwar Gani (165 Koi)
Most Handling
Samurai Koi Centre
(254 Koi)
Most City
Bandung (96 participants, 649 Koi)
Total Koi Entered
1218
Total Participants
240
Koi Variety Classifications
Gosanke
Sakura
Tsubaki
Botan
Kohaku
Sanke
Showa
Shiro Utsuri
Goshiki
Kawarimono
Kinginrin A
Kinginrin B
Kujaku
Hikarimoyo
Tanchi
Koromo
Doitsu
Kumonryu
Hikarimuji
Asagi
Shusui
Bekko
Hikari Utsuri
Hi/Ki Utsuri
Above, with 1218 entries in the
show there is a huge amount of
administration required to process
them all. The admin team worked
late into Friday night getting
everything entered into the
computer system correctly.
Right and below, the Koi handling
team some of the unsung heroes of
the show.
As well as the trophies for the Koi, all entrants had the chance to win door
prizes including motor scooters, LED TVs and show pools
Indonesia Focus - Indonesia’s First World Champion
On 2nd February 2013 Hartono Soekwanto made history when his Kohaku, ‘M Legend’, was awarded the Grand
Champion prize at the 44th All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show, the most prestigious show in the world, the
‘world championship’ of Koi. Hartono became the first ever Indonesian to hold this prestigious title, one which
until 2006 had been almost the sole preserve of Japanese hobbyists.
In 2006, UK hobbyists Mark Crampton and Martin Plows became the first westerners to win the Grand Champion
prize, prior to that on only one occasion had a non Japanese owner won the title, Yang Le Chin of Taiwan in
2001.
I was with Mark and Martin on the evening they’d won and one of them stated, ‘we are world champions’, which,
whilst there is no specific reference as such, that is effectively what the owner of the Grand Champion at the All
Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show is.
Anyone who has seen the DVD ‘How the East Was Won’ will know the trials and tribulations Mark and Martin
went through in winning the title.
In this interview we speak to Hartono Soekwanto, the 2013 ‘World Champion’, about how he acquired ‘M
Legend’ and his motivations for wanting to become ‘World Champion of Nishikigoi’.
NDI – Hartono, tell me how you first started keeping
Koi.
Hartono
Soekwanto
Indonesia’s First
‘World Champion’
Hartono – When I bought this house in 2009 there
was a Koi pond in the back but it was dry because
the construction was not good. It was part of the
landscape so there were 2 choices, close it down or
to repair it and make it work. So, I did a little bit of
repairing and put some local Koi, just as part of the
landscape.
In June 2009 at Villa Istana Bunga ZNA Bandung
Chapter staged the 5th Koi Show, I was there and
for the first time I met Kentaro [Sakai], I met Futoshi
Mano, and that was my first time to know the names
of the Koi, I learned this is Kohaku, this is Showa, that
was the 2 things I learned.
At the auction I bought 1 Beppu Showa, 1 Dainichi
Showa and 1 Sakai Kohaku. I realised that I’d only
been keeping local Koi and what should I do? I
repaired my pond again and again and left the Koi
with Kiki Sutarki at Samurai Koi.
In October I bought one Kohaku and one Sanke at the
Sakai auction. Afterwards I went to harvest at Sakai,
the first thing I asked Kentaro Sakai, ‘do you have a fish
like Yokuzuna? I want to buy.’ Kentaro looked at me,
paused for a minute, and then said, ‘I don’t have.’ He
must have thought I was a crazy guy.
That first time I went to Sakai I found out that if you
have an oyagoi at Sakai you can get the 2 best fishes
every year, that’s what I learned. At the time I really
paid attention to one of the Grand Champion Oyagoi,
Yamato. At that time I started to have an obsession to
have a Grand Champion oyagoi at Sakai,
not just regular oyagoi, because it would
have more added value to have a Grand
Champion oyagoi.
I looked for the best mentor, and Kiki
was the best mentor. Three times a year
I went to Japan, I joined the Asia Cup Koi
Show in Taipei, all to learn about Koi, to
know about this Koi industry. The more
I learned about the industry the more
pessimistic I became about my obsession
because I met people like Richard Tan
who had spent over 33 years and never
got Grand Champion, not even at the ZNA
or Rinyukai.
I feel that sometimes people can have an
obsession but never achieve it, it’s just a
dream, a wishful dream.
In 2011 we visited the All Japan, it was M
Legend that was the Grand Champion,
and Yohanes Jusuf made a very clear
statement, he saw the 2012 and 2013
Grand Champion challenge, he said it was
the opportunity for us to get the Grand
Champion because there were no big fish
at that time, ‘this is a rare opportunity’,
he said, there are not many chances
and there’s an empty challenge at the
moment.
This was shown in 2012 when the 85bu
Dainichi Showa won the Grand Champion
prize.
When we came back from Japan in 2011
myself, Yohanes Jusuf, Felix Denanta and
Hendrawan Sudarpo all agreed, 2012 and
2013 would be a once in a life chance for
Indonesia to earn an honorable trophy
in Japan. Prior to that no Indonesian
had won at the ZNA, Rinyukai, All Japan
Combined or Wakagoi, so this was a big
chance for us.
So the 4 of us had a common ground, we
totally agreed that we’d take this chance
to make it happen, we used our trust to
make it happen.
At the 2011 harvest Yohanes got his ‘Red
Queen’ which turned out to be Rinyukai
champion. At the same time Felix got his
Kohaku that turned out to be ZNA Grand
Champion. Hendrawan got his Dainichi
Kohaku, 96cm. So 3 of them had already
got their arsenal, I was still looking,
looking.
In June 2012 Kiki told me that there
was a chance of the M Legend Kohaku
becoming available. I thought, maybe
this is my chance, why not? However, at
that time, after spawning, recovery was
only 80% so Kiki said, ‘please wait until
the end of September or beginning of
October and we’ll see the latest condition.’
Between June and September dialogue
was already open between Kiki, Ken at
TNFF and M-san. At the end of September
we had to make a decision, buy or not,
because at the end of September there
would be a Sakai auction and so many
dealers from around the world would
come and anything could happen. I
had to make a decision and at the time
recovery was almost 90%. It was a gamble
but I made up my mind to go for it.
M was really happy to sell her to me, he
already had his ‘World Champion’ so there
was nothing for him to pursue anymore.
And then, I was really happy to get this
first ever ‘World Champion’ for Indonesia.
In less than 5 years from knowing Koi I
became ‘World Champion’, I think I’m very
blessed and very lucky, I think this is the
fastest ‘World Champion’ ever.
NDI – What is it that made you so
obsessed about this dream?
Hartono - Actually I like to teach my
children. Some parents just say, ‘your
father before used to be somebody,
blah, blah, blah’, I don’t want to do it like
that; I want to show them this is what
your father can do. Life is not easy, every
grain that we eat we have to fight for,
just a Grand Champion trophy means a
lot. There’s a lot of samurai spirit in the
trophy. Every time my children are down
I want them to see the trophy and give a
second chance, a push. Life has to be a
fight all the time, it’s not easy to live, it has
to be fight, fight and fight. This is the spirit
that I would like my children to have. My
Above, part of the Sakai Fish Farm bloodline
family tree which includes ‘Yokozuna’,
‘Yamato’, ‘M Kohaku’ and ‘M Legend’.
Above, 2011 All Japan Koi Show, left to right,
Hidekazu Yoshida (Odakan), Yoshimichi Sakai
(SFF), M-san, Ken (TNFF), Kentaro Sakai(SFF).
family are proud of me, my parents are really
proud of me as well. My parents are successful
businessmen, they don’t need anything from
me but this is something I presented to them
and they are really happy. I was on national
television and my parents, both of them waiting
for their son coming from the television and
they were telling everybody, ‘hey look at this
channel on TV, this is my son coming on’, this
money cannot buy, something I like to present
to them. Also, of course, people of Indonesia
are really happy, this is the first ever ‘World
Champion’, but for me my target is for my family
and my parents, that’s all, so simple.
Hartono - Yes, in Indonesia, in Bandung and the
other major cities, you see many houses with a
pond, some of them just for the landscape, but
this is the starting point, buying just a regular
fish, like myself, I went from knowing nothing
about Koi then I bought a house with a pond
and then that’s when it all started.
NDI – So now you’ve won Grand Champion,
‘World Champion’, what next?
Also, the local breeders now, they produce good
Koi but the size still only to a maximum of 30bu,
they can challenge in the small sizes.
Hartono – There are no more achievements,
I’ve got already what I want, I’ve got a Grand
Champion oyagoi in the ultra-modern Sakai Fish
Farm facility. I just wait for my investment to get
a return.
NDI – You’re president of ZNA Bandung
Chapter?
Hartono – This is the oldest Koi club in
Indonesia, it was established in 1998 by our
former chairman Eddy Soekwanto , he was a
Koi hobbyist and is now our honorary advisor. I
think we need to be ‘refreshed’ so I would like a
new president to be elected, time for me to say
goodbye maybe.
NDI – The hobby in Bandung, and Indonesia,
do you see it still growing?
You can see fish entries into Koi shows are more
and more now, and high end, and there are
also more and more Koi shows. It used to be in
one year 3 or 4 shows, now almost every month
there is a Koi show so there is a growing interest
in Koi.
NDI – In Indonesia are there lots of new young
hobbyists?
Hartono – Oh, many young hobbyists, but not
many people in Indonesia are eager, or have
the knowledge, or have the challenge, to have
competition in Japan, internationally, they
just have fun keeping Koi or showing here.
Everyone’s not like Johanes Yusuf, he’s really
competitive, and he knows what he’s doing.
Not many others in Indonesia, perhaps only one
or two. He really knows what he’s doing.
NDI – You spoke of your children earlier, and
we had the family Koi show this weekend, do
your children enjoy the Koi?
Hartono – Yes, my children enjoy and my
M Legend, perhaps one of the most successful show Koi of all time, Grand Champion at
the 2009 Rinyukai Show, 2011 All Japan Combined Show, 2011 ZNA All Japan Show and
2013 All Japan Combined Show when she was 98cm and 9 years old.
daughter got Grand Champion Tsubaki. It’s
a family time; we like to build this in the ZNA
Bandung Chapter. it’s not really high standard
but it’s a ‘happy hour’ and everybody enjoys. If
you want to be competitive there are so many Koi
shows such as the Asia Cup, the Young Koi Show
Asia Cup, or you want a higher challenge you can
go to Japan. But, we will build our culture in this
family show.
NDI – The future for your Grand Champion, it’s
now a parent fish again at Sakai?
Hartono - Yes, I’m really grateful to Sakai Fish Farm
for taking care of her and doing a good job. I also
appreciate to M-san, also Ken, for giving me the
opportunity and thank the 3 of them for making
me a legend.
NDI – With regards to other fish that you own,
you have other special fish in Japan still?
Hartono – I enjoy having a relationship with
small farms like Omosako where, if I feel some
of my fish don’t perhaps have a good future, I
will give them to them, 1 Goshiki and 1 Kujaku,
and some of the male Showa I give to them as a
friendship, and I enjoy having a relationship with
Omosako Koi Farm. This kind of relationship I like
to have and build, it’s more like family value. The
mother I gave, and her child, got Sakura prize
together in the Rinyukai. The Oofuchi female
oyagoi he crossed with his male from Konishi and
the offspring are very good Kujaku. This kind of
relationship I like to build, it’s like ‘a friend in need,
a friend indeed’.
NDI – The offspring, or hopeful offspring, from
your Kohaku M Legend, when do you get to
choose?
Hartono – I think it will be 2 more years, when
nisai. Hopefully I can get another major trophy
in Japan, and then get some cash afterwards
(laughing.......). The route of glory is already there,
M-san already showed us the route of glory. M
Legend was a free fish, because he had the M
Kohaku it was for free, and Ken, he’s the one that
picked this M Legend. So, it was free, keeping for
8-9 years free of charge. It got all the trophies, all
the major trophies, clean sweep, and he got return
on his investment. That’s the route of glory, that’s
a very promising long term investment.
NDI – Good luck!
Top right, left to right, Glenardo Yopie, Hendrawan
Sudarpo, Kentaro Sakai (SFF), Hartono Soekwanto,
Yoshimichi Sakai, Kiki Sutarki, Mrs Sutarki.
Right, with ‘M Legend’ and Kentaro Sakai
Below, Hartono gets thrown in the air 3 times as is
traditional for the owner of the Grand Champion.
Above, Hartono with his ‘World Champion’ trophy.
Below, Hartono with part of his trophy collection.
Above, a scale model of one of the tug boats which Hartono
operates, the boat named after his daughter Gladdys, the
barge after his son Noel.
Hartono’s pond and garden, many of the Koi were in
quarantine having returned from the Koi show.
The end
Coming in issue 2 (out end of September)
Part 2 of our Interview with Mike Snaden
To leave or ship - a feature on leaving Koi as azukari
Koi Breeding Around the World
NVN Holland Koi Show
All England Koi Show
Vietnam Koi Show
Taiwan Koi Show
Kois and Ponds Grow Out Competition
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International Issue 1 September 2013 - Niigata

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