Swimming Poetry: The History and Beauty of Nishikigoi
Swimming Poems - The History and Beauty of Nishikigoi
In the winter, the life of water quietly thrives in the snow-covered rice terraces of Niigata.
One day, a particularly colorful carp appeared on the surface of the water among a group of all-black carp.
The beauty of chance, the mischief of nature called mutation, was born, the carp with red and white patterns.
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In the late Edo period, the villagers of Yamakoshi and Ojiya were fascinated by the carp they kept as winter food.
We have repeatedly improved the breed in pursuit of a more beautiful and unique appearance.
Koi fish with patterns that look like silk fabrics, such as "Red and White," "Taisho Three Colors," and "Showa Three Colors," were born.
The fish's appearance resembles that of a "nishiki" carp, and so it came to be called "nishikigoi."
Nishikigoi were exhibited as "unusual carp" at the Taisho Exposition in Tokyo in 1914.
It attracted so much attention that it was presented to Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Showa),
Its beauty has established it as a work of art.
Now they are called "swimming works of art" and "living jewels."
Nishikigoi carp have become a decorative presence in gardens and aquariums around the world.
There are over 150 varieties, and they have such cultural value that they are defined in the Japanese Agricultural Standards.
It has become a symbol of the Japanese brand that has spread its wings from Niigata to the world.