About & Sources

Japanese Koi (Nishikigoi) Guide is an independent English-language encyclopedia published at koi.yamato-kenkou.com. It covers the fish itself — varieties and classification, producing regions, public koi facilities, the show system, seeing koi in Japan, and the factual outline of import regulation.

Division of coverage

Gardens as places (garden styles and famous garden locations, including garden ponds as garden elements) are covered by our sister gardens guide, not here; the test is whether the subject is the art and production culture of the fish or a garden made on land. Where a facility belongs to both worlds, practical place information lives with the gardens guide and the fish content lives here, connected through the network page. Wild carp and natural fish belong to the wild guide. Plant culture cross-features link to the bonsai guide. Goldfish and other Japanese ornamental fish, edible carp dishes, and carp fishing are out of scope here.

Sources, limits & recheck

Facts come only from the sources listed at the foot of every page. Variety names and definitions follow the JAS standard (2022). This site gives no diagnosis or treatment, no husbandry prescriptions, no prices or valuations, and no determination that any fish can be imported — import pages summarise general conditions and official confirmation routes only. The import page is scheduled for re-confirmation every six months (next due May 2027); the procedure is filed with this site's production package (RECHECK.md). No affiliate links are published in this edition: pond goods, tools and books may be added only after per-item category and rate re-confirmation. No live-fish affiliation, ever.

Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA — summary in our own words, credit only); All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association official; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Finance Ministry trade statistics as published; Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) for nishikigoi variety names and definitions (2022); Niigata Prefecture, Ojiya City, Nagaoka City (Yamakoshi) and Nishikigoi no Sato official; Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) visitor statistics; USDA APHIS and Australian DAFF official import guidance. Checked 6 November 2026.