Japanese Koi Varieties

Aigoromo 藍衣

Aigoromo 藍衣

Aigoromo is a white koi with red markings on which red-fringed indigo blue scales are seen. The orderly reticular pattern created by the blue scales is desired by many koi lovers ...
Aka Matsuba 赤松葉

Aka Matsuba 赤松葉

A Nishikigoi with a pine corn pattern on the red scales  ...
Asagi 浅黄

Asagi 浅黄

Asagi's entire back is covered with ai-iro (indigo blue), gunjo-iro (deep blue) and sora-iro (sky blue) scales. Each scale is fringed with white, which creates a reticular pattern. Its head is spotless and light blue-colored. Hi appears on the cheeks, the joints of pectoral fins, and the abdominals ...
Bekko

Bekko

Koi with black markings on white skin are called Shiro Bekko. According to the colors of the skin, there are Aka Bekko and Ki Bekko ...
Beni Kikokuryu 紅輝黒竜

Beni Kikokuryu 紅輝黒竜

Kikokuryu with hi patches, produced from crossing a female Kikusui with a male Kikokuryu. Popular variety recently ...
Beni Kumonryu 紅九紋竜

Beni Kumonryu 紅九紋竜

Kumonryu with red patterns produced by mating Kumonryu with Doitsu Kohaku ...
Benigoi 紅鯉

Benigoi 紅鯉

Red Nishikigoi. Benigoi has deeper red than Higoi ...
Budogoromo 葡萄衣

Budogoromo 葡萄衣

Nishikigoi with koromo scaled pattern on hi plates. Its reddish brown color and the way how koromo patterns arranged look like a bunch of grapes. Budo means grape ...
Chagoi

Chagoi

This variety is close to the origin of Nishikigoi. Though its body color is brown, its hues vary from dark chocolate brown to light greenish brown ...
Gin Shiro

Gin Shiro

Shiro Utsuri with metallic sheen skin ...
Ginrin Showa

Ginrin Showa

Showa Sanshoku with silvery scales are called Ginrin Showa. Girin can come with  every varieties ...
Goshiki 五色

Goshiki 五色

Goshiki has fundamentally the same requirements for Hi patter as Kohaku. There are some types of Goshiki, such as the one whose entire body is covered with black reticular patterns and the one which has no black scales within the red markings. The latter gives a modern impression. There is also a variety whose skin is black ...
Hi Utsuri 緋写り

Hi Utsuri 緋写り

Black koi with hi patterns. Utsurimono with red skin ...
Hikariutsuri

Hikariutsuri

Showa and Utsurimono with Hikarimono (metallic) body are called Hikariutsuri (Hikari Utsuri) ...
Hirenaga 鰭長

Hirenaga 鰭長

Hirenaga 鰭長 Hire鰭 means dorsal fins, naga長 means long. Hirenaga Nishikigoi refers to Nishikigoi with long fins.   Hirenaga Nishikigoi was produced by Saitama Fisheries Research Institute. In 1977, the reigning Emperor (the Crown Prince at that time) visited there and advised to mate Hirenaga-koi in Indonesia with Japanese Nishikigoi to create the new elegant variety. They started to crossbreed and fixed it as one variety named “Hirenaga Nishikigoi” in 1982. You can keep them just by following the same ways as Nishikigoi.   Pictures of Hirenaga bred by Kurihara Koi Farm in Saitama, Saitama is the birthplace of Hirenaga ...
Kage Showa 影昭和

Kage Showa 影昭和

Showa that have koromo scaled sumi. Belongs to Kawarimono ...
Karashigoi からし鯉

Karashigoi からし鯉

Mustard single-colored Nishikigoi produced by mating Kigoi with Chagoi. Karashi means mustard ...
Karasugoi 烏鯉

Karasugoi 烏鯉

Black Nishikigoi. "Karasu" means crow ...
Kawarimono 変わりもの

Kawarimono 変わりもの

A unique Nishikigoi. Nishikigoi that is difficult to be categorized into a specific variety at koi show regarded as Kawarimono ...
Ki Matsuba 黄松葉

Ki Matsuba 黄松葉

Matsuba koi with yellow skin ...
Ki Utsuri 黄写り

Ki Utsuri 黄写り

Black Nishikigoi with yellow patterns. Utsurimono with yellow skin ...
Kikokuryu 輝黒竜

Kikokuryu 輝黒竜

Metallic Kumonryu, originally produced by mating Kumonryu with Doitsu Platinum Ogon ...
Kikusui 菊翠

Kikusui 菊翠

Doitsu Platinum Kohaku ...
Kin Kikokuryu

Kin Kikokuryu

Kikokuryu that have golden patterns instead of black patterns ...
Kin Showa

Kin Showa

Kin Showa was produced by crossing Showa Sanshoku and Ogon. Those with a golden body are called Kin Showa, and those with a platinum sheen are called Gin Showa ...
Kohaku 紅白

Kohaku 紅白

Kohaku is a white koi with red markings. This variety was the first one to be fixed. Because of the Japanese flag, red and white are the colors most commonly used in many celebrations in Japan. Thus, the Kohaku is the most popular variety of Nishikigoi ...
Kujyaku 孔雀

Kujyaku 孔雀

Kujyaku Ogon has a metallic body on which Kohaku-like Hi patterns and black Matsuba (pine needles) patterns, like a peacock's tail feathers, are laid. Kujyaku means peacock, Ogon means gold ...
Kumonryu 九紋竜

Kumonryu 九紋竜

Kumonryu is a black Doitsugoi with white marking patterns. Its pattern changes according to the temparature and water quality ...
Matsukawabake 松川化け

Matsukawabake 松川化け

The black and white Nishikigoi that have changing patterns over time. Fully scaled Kumonryu ...
Mukashi Ogon 昔黄金

Mukashi Ogon 昔黄金

Classic Ogon with brownish yellow skin. Literally mukashi means past ...
Nezu Ogon ねず黄金

Nezu Ogon ねず黄金

Blue grayish colored Ogon ...
Orenji Ogon オレンジ黄金

Orenji Ogon オレンジ黄金

Ogon with orange skin ...
Platinum Kohaku プラチナ紅白

Platinum Kohaku プラチナ紅白

Kohaku with sheen skin, another name for Sakura Ogon ...
Platinum Ogon プラチナ黄金

Platinum Ogon プラチナ黄金

Platinum Ogon's body is white with a platinum sheen ...
Shiro Bekko 白べっ甲

Shiro Bekko 白べっ甲

Bekko with white skin ...
Shiro Utsuri 白写り

Shiro Utsuri 白写り

Black Nishikigoi with white patches ...
Showa Sanshoku 昭和三色

Showa Sanshoku 昭和三色

Showa Sanshoku has red and white markings on black skin. Its dynamic marking pattern is very attractive. Like Taisho, Showa came from the name of the era (1926-1989) when it was produced and fixed. It is commonly called Showa ...
Shusui 秋翠

Shusui 秋翠

Since Shusui was produced by crossing Doitsugoi and Asagi, it has the colors of Asagi and an orderly row of large scales, peculiar to Doitsugoi. The clearer the color of blue is, and the more even the size of the scales are, the better ...
Sora Ogon 空黄金

Sora Ogon 空黄金

Bluish gray Ogon ...
Sumigoromo

Sumigoromo

Sumigoromo is a Koromo with darker colored patches than Bodogoromo ...

Find About History of Nishikigoi

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RINKO Online
Author: RINKO Online

RINKO was published in 1962 as the first Nishikigoi magazine in the world. Dr Takeo Kuroki organized Oita Airinkai (koi club) with 53 members. He wrote the most articles which were written on A5 size paper, printed in black and white and 28 pages long with his wife’s artwork on the front cover. When Dr Kuroki met our founder Shuji Fujita, they consulted on publishing his first book “Nishikigoi”. This created hundreds and thousands of “koi-kichi” (koi lovers/people crazy about koi). Their work together resulted in the success of RINKO Issue 15, the first cover printed in color. Since then their journey of introducing Nishikigoi culture to the world has blossomed.