Koi FAQ

What is the difference between Sanke and Showa?

Ground and black placement. Sanke is a white-ground fish with black spots resting on the white; Showa is a black-ground fish whose black wraps the body, reaches the head and shows at the pectoral fin bases (motoguro). The telling-apart page walks the full check.

Can I bring a koi home from Japan in my luggage?

No — live koi travel through exporters and importers under health certification and import permits. Personal carriage is not a lawful route in major destinations, and Australia does not permit household-pet imports of live fish at all. See the import page for official confirmation routes.

Does this site sell koi or quote prices?

No. No breeder database, no prices, no auctions and no live-fish links. The site is a Japan-side encyclopedia: varieties, regions, shows and seeing koi in Japan.

Why do some pages show no photograph?

Champion and breeder fish photographs belong to their owners and photographers, and most cannot be verified for reuse. This guide uses diagram-style panels and only places images whose licences check out — in this first edition, no photographs are placed.

Is a garden pond fish the same as nishikigoi?

Not necessarily. Nishikigoi are bred, selected varieties with names and definitions (see the JAS 21). A garden may hold unselected coloured carp — the gardens guide covers gardens as places; this guide covers the bred fish.

Where should I see koi in Japan first?

Ojiya's Nishikigoi no Sato, paired with Yamakoshi's terraced landscape — about two hours from Tokyo. The regions hub gathers the confirmed facts.

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.