AO Aokiya Tosai Goshiki

I mentioned the other day that I'd made some tentative arrangements to visit AO Aokiya, more commonly known as Aoki, to get some pictures of his Doitsu Goshiki, as had been at the Niigata Breeders Auction

I was enjoying a little lay in this morning when my phone rang.  It was Rob from Ornafish, he was going to be at Aoki's around 10.15am.  OK, I'd be there.  I had a rough idea where it was, having visited just once before, I was thankful for my breeders map!

Aoki-san junior confirmed what it was I wanted to photograph and promptly netted some of the tosai that were in one of the ponds and started sorting through them selecting some into a small bowl.  These were all tosai that had been selected to go to the mud ponds and not for sale, all around 18-20cm in length.

As I was videoing the Koi in the bowl I noticed Haruo Aoki, the father, come into the Koi house.  He was stood patiently by an adjacent pond with a small hand net.

After a short while he produced another small Goshiki in a bowl.  It was one I recognised instantly, back in October at the Nogyosai I'd stated of this Koi, 'If they gave a prize for cutest Koi at the show then surely this would be a contender anywhere'. http://yamakoshi.blogspot.com/2008/10/niigata-nogyosai-part-4-some-more.html

 At that time it was under 15cm in length, now a few cm larger, still a stunning little Koi.

Aoki-san clearly proud of it's achievement of being best in size, irrespective of variety.

And what of the Doitsu Goshiki?

You in the video gallery.

NTV 2009 subscribers can download a short HD video showing 3 of them, along with some 'wagoi' scaled Goshiki, here http://www.nishikigoi.tv/2009/index.html

You'll also be able to read a little more about them in issue 1 of Niigata-Nishikigoi.com Digest.