Size Classes (Bu) & How Entry Works

From the smallest bu to the over-80 classes — how a fish finds its competitors.

Entry begins with measurement. A fish is measured and placed in its size class (bu), and entered under its variety classification — the 13-group framework described on the classification page. Class and variety together define the competition set.

Within a class, fish are judged head-to-head, winners advance, and the show builds upward: class honours, then variety and size champions, then the major prizes, and finally a single Grand Champion. The 55th All Japan show drew 1,843 entries; the 56th, held 24–26 January 2026 at Tokyo Ryutsu Center, crowned a 100 cm Kohaku.

Owners, not only breeders, take the top honours — the 2025 and 2026 Grand Champions were both owned by a Chinese hobbyist, the first overseas owner to win in consecutive years, which tells you how international the top of the hobby has become.

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.