A day of sembetsu

On Friday I had dinner with Hisashi Hirasawa (Marudo) and Devin in order to conduct an interview for the 1st issue of Niigata Nishikigoi Digest which will be available on Tuesday.  At the same time I arranged with Devin to do the 2nd sembetsu of his Kohaku sometime today, you can read about the first sembetsu here - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/490.

At last night's Wakatoch Matsuri Hide asked me whether I was free to go to his sembetsu today, as he works at Isa he has to fit his own culling in on Sundays.  Unsure of what time I'd be with Devin I couldn't make any promises.

Fortunately Devin subsequently advised me he'd be culling at 1pm meaning this morning I could head out and see Hide's Koi.

Hide's plan today was the culling of 3 ponds of Doitsu Kohaku.

These Kohaku are from the same oyagoi as the Doitsu Maruten Kohaku bred by Hide that won the 15bu Sakura Prize at the 2009 All Japan Show - http://www.niigata-nishikigoi.com/node/220.

I regularly joke with Hide that his Koi are no good simply for the fact that they are Doitsu.  Of course that's far from the truth, Doitsugoi are now taking major prizes in some Japanese shows, they also exhibit some very interesting patterns too.

The 4 below were picked from the first lot that were harvested from the first of the 3 ponds. Unfortunately is seems that one actually has a deformed pectoral fin.

I couldn't stay for the other 2 ponds as I had to meet up with Devin.  As with Isa, and most other farms, Sunday is holiday day.  Despite that Hisashi-san turned out to give Devin a hand netting the pond.

The full story of the sembetsu will appear in issue 1 of Niigata Nishikigoi Digest.