Niigata Nogyosai - Niigata

53rd Niigata Nogyosai
08.11
Saturday morning breaks at the 53rd Niigata Nogyosai Koi Show, unsurpringly it is wet. Thankfully Typhoon Francisco
had diverted course a couple of days earlier, otherwise the show could have been a non event, Niigata had been directly
in its path.
The Niigata Nogyosai is the 2nd longest running Koi show in the world after the Nagaoka Show, and without question
one of the most prestigious after the Shinkokai and ZNA All Japan Shows. It is staged annually by Japan Agricultural
Co-operative at the Ojiya Gymnasium, the same venue used for all the major shows in Niigata.
53rd
Niigata
Nogyosai
26 -27 October 2013
th
th
For me it’s the most fun show of all, it’s my ‘home event’, and there is always a great atmosphere, whatever the weather.
Koi start to arrive at the
show.
Left to right Hoshikin,
Nogami and Yamamatsu
unloading and releasing
Koi.
08.33
08.43
08.55
Toshiaki Sakai had proudly
shown me the Sanke
earlier in the week when I
visited Yamamatsu, would
it be a contender once
more Koi arrived at the
show?
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
09.06
Mitsunori Isa releases one
of the Koi ‘tipped’ for GC,
an 85cm Showa, under
the eye of Hisato Nogami
and Kenji Tani.
Joined by Masaru Saito
they share a joke and
study the Koi in detail.
09.14
09.14
09.14
09.16
Koi arrive thick and fast, left to right Maruju, Nishikigoi Niigata Direct, Marudo and Teradomari bring in their Koi.
Below, Maruyo, Maruhiro not letting the weather upset his mood, and Dainichi arrive, what would they bring?
09.08
In total 957 Koi were
entered into 15 size
classes, from 15cm
to over 80cm, and 11
variety classes.
Judging was still a few
hours from commencing
and the rain continued to
fall.
09.09
09.24
09.36
09.37
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
The top 3?
10.17
10.18
10.20
With the benching complete there was time to grab a quick shot of my top three contenders for the GC prize. Left, the Isa Showa, centre an Isa Sanke and right a Murata Kohaku.
A few years ago, along with Steve Gibbins and Jeroen Van Keulen, we introduced a little bit of fun before the GC judging started. To join the fun people pay 500yen and nominate their
winner. If, after judging, they are correct they take a share of the total prize pool.
This year 15 people joined in, 7 nominated the Showa, 1 the Sanke, and 5 the Kohaku. A Dainichi Kohaku had 1 nomination as did another smaller Isa Sanke. My choice? The Showa.
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
12.07
12.11
12.11
12.11
Shortly after midday, with the rain finally
stopped, the 25 judges assembled. Their
first task was to make nominations for the
Grand Champion prize.
12.15
12.15
12.17
12.13
The judges make their way around each
show pool where possible candidates are
and are required to nominate 1 individual
Koi as their choice.
12.13
12.13
12.12
12.12
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
With all the judges re-assembled
Makoto Tanaka, as representative
of the Niigata Shinkokai, cast the
first nomination followed by the
other 24 judges.
Within a few minutes the
nominations were in and
counted.
12.20
12.20
12.20
For any Koi to be crowned Grand
Champion at this stage of the
voting it would need to have
received 13 nominations, i.e.
giving it a majority.
12.30
In the first round there were
in fact 8 Koi which received
nominations.
The Isa Showa received 10, the
Isa Sanke 6, 3 Koi (including
the Murata Kohaku) got 2
nominations each, and another 3
Koi 1 nomination each.
The officials needed to check the
rules at this stage which it seems
dictate that 3 Koi should come
forward to the second ballot.
With 2 clear leaders it would
have seemed logical to just have
a head to head between the
Showa and the Sanke.
12.21
The head judge (an official of JA,
not a breeder) went to view the
3 Koi with 2 nominations and
declared that a Dainichi bred
Kohaku would be the 3rd Koi.
12.31
12.32
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
12.36
The 3 Koi above would now take place in a second ballot, again, 1 would
need to receive 13 votes to be crowned Grand Champion.
12.36
The judges again quickly cast their votes for one of the 3 Koi. Whilst the show staff were busy counting
the results of the 2nd ballot Tsuyoshi Kawakami and Hisashi Hirasawa were having a bit of fun.
12.34
With each of the 3 Koi placed in adjacent pools the judges made their way
around each enabling a more direct comparison to be made.
12.37
12.37
12.37
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
The 2nd ballot still didn’t provide an outright winner with the Showa obtaining 12 votes (1 less than
needed to win), the Sanke 9 votes and the Kohaku 4 votes.
This necessitated a 3rd and final ballot between the Showa and the Sanke, a ballot which the Showa won
by 14 votes to 11.
Grand Champion
Showa
85cm
Despite being clear in 2nd place throughout the voting process the Sanke was not automatically
awarded the runner up prize, rules dictated that the Sanke and Kohaku would go head to head in another
ballot for that prize.
6 Years Old
Amazingly the Sanke won by just 1 vote, 13 to 12.
Isa Koi Farm
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Showa
10
12
14
Sanke
6
9
11
Kohaku
2
4
n/a
Others
7
n/a
n/a
The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion are moved to their winners display pools.
Meanwhile the 7 teams of judges got on with the task of judging the remaining 955 Koi.
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Reserve Grand Champion
80bu+
Sanke
Isa Koi Farm
Best in Size
80bu+
Kohaku
Dainichi Koi Farm
Best in Size
80bu
Kohaku
Nogami Koi Farm
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Best in Size
75bu
Sanke
Izumiya Koi Farm
Best in Size
70bu
Kohaku
Urakawa Koi Farm (TORAZO)
Best in Size
65bu
Sanke
NND Marusho Koi Farm
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Best in Size
60bu
Sanke
Kouhei Takano
Best in Size
55bu
Kohaku
Shinji Murata
Best in Size
50bu
Kohaku
Shinji Murata
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Best in Size
45bu
Goshiki
A O Aokiya
Best in Size
40bu
Showa
Marusen Kobayashi Koi Farm
Best in Size
35bu
Kohaku
Sakamaki Koi Farm
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Best in Size
30bu
Benikikokuryu
Koshiji Koi Farm
Best in Size
25bu
Ginrin Showa
Nagashima Koi Farm
Best in Size
20bu
Sanke
Shigemitsu Honma
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Best in Size
15bu
Doitsu Sanke
Oyaji Koi Farm
Governors Prize (70bu-80bu+)
80bu+
Mukashi Ogon
Marusei Koi Farm
Governors Prize (55bu-65bu)
55bu
Kikusui
Yagenji Koi Farm
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Governors Prize (35bu-50bu)
50bu
Doitsu Showa
Hiroi Koi Farm
Governors Prize (15bu-30bu)
25bu
Kujaku
Suzuki Toshirou
Jumbo Champion
100cm
Karashigoi
Marudo Koi Farm
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Mitsunori Isa receives the GC trophy and flag from Isao Hoshino, Nagaoka City member of
Niigata Goverment, and a replica of the Grand Champion from Miya san of FA Miyaishi.
Kasumi Hirawasa,
wife of Toshi
Hirasawa,
receives the
Jumbo Champion
Trophy on behalf
of Marudo Koi
Farm for their 1m
Karashigoi.
L to R, 65bu to 80bu+ winners
L to R, 40bu to 60bu winners
L to R, 15bu to 35bu winners
Governors Prize Winners
L to R, 25bu to 80bu+
The 53rd Niigata Nogyosai is brought to
a close with the traditonal celebratory
‘banzai’ cry, much as we would do three
cheers in the west.
Another great weekend comes to an end
but there’s still time for a bit more fun
outside as people are packing up.
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013
53rd Niigata Nogyosai
The laughs continue until the very end, that’s one of the
things that make the Niigata Nogyosai so special.
Here’s to 2014 and the 54 Niigata Nogyosai, looking forward
to it already.
Nishikigoi Digest International - Issue 3 - November 2013