Carp is an Auspicious Animal believed to possess
special attributes - Strength, Health, Persistence, Luck, Wealth,
There is an important myth of a carp leaping up
a waterfall and swimming tirelessly upstream to reach the headwater.
When it succeeded, it was rewarded by transformation into a mighty
dragon. In China, images or statues of carp are a traditional gift
to a student beginning school.
In Japan, auspicious colors are red, white, black,
blue, yellow, & brown.
The color Red (aka) is an expression of happy or
bright feelings. Red evokes images of fortunate or happy occasions,
symbolized by red and white as seen on kohaku.
Nishikigoi begins and ends with Kohaku.
Japanese prefer the majority of koi in a pond
should be Kohaku to convey bright, happy feelings.
Carp sometimes have natural mutations
of colors including spots or bellies that are red, brown, grey,
light blue/grey, light yellow, and tortoiseshell. Carp farmers all
over the world would have seen these same mutations but only in
the Niigata area of Japan were carp developed and refined successfully
by selective breeding to eventually become what we know today as
living jewels (koi).
Why Were Koi Created Only in Niigata, Japan?
Very isolated in winter
20+ feet of snow accumulation
Lack of fresh food in winter
Very Artistic/Creative/Competitive People
Profit Colored Carp were valuable
Competitions (Annual Formal Koi Shows in Niigata
area since 1912)
It is believed carp first came to Japan
by way of China about 400 - 600 years ago. Likely the remoteness
of the mountainous Niigata area and especially in their harsh winters,
with up to 20 ft of accumulated snow, inspired these home-bound
villagers to find something beautiful to occupy their minds. Winters
were so harsh that some carp had to be brought into temporary ponds
inside their small homes to survive.
It is incredible to think that some bored
rice/carp farmer, gazing at some of his pet magoi with a few red
or gold spots, started thinking "I can breed Spot and Speckles
and create a new type of colorful carp and then sell them for lots
Imagine what he would think if he could
return today and see how popular, beautiful and expensive some of
the descendents of his pet fish experiment had become.