The Tosai Competition. By Naoki Atsumi.               Return to Naoki's page.

Most knowledgeable western koi hobbyists have heard of a fanatical Japanese hobbyist called Mr Kato, also perhaps a few other VIP’s from the ZNA. But not much is known in the western world about normal hobbyists from Japan. 

In this short article I would like to introduce a method we use to improve our eye for selection of young koi and our growing skills. This is a tosai competition, which has been held at a local koi shop in Tokyo for the past 10 years. This form of competition is getting popular with many koi shops all over Japan. 

The shop will ready many Tosai (ake Nisai) koi to sell at a fixed price of 10,000 yen (around £50.00 or $100) in early May. This is the sale season prior to the summer feeding period. They measure the koi and take photos of each koi purchased. Some shops make the competition exclusively from their own bred koi and some supply slightly higher priced koi for 20,000 or 30,000yen each. 

After the growing/feeding period we hold a brief HINPYOKAI (Japanese koi show) for one day in October or early November. On average 60% to 70% of the koi would participate each year (some died or some not wanting to show their failure!).

This is good fun as some koi have improved well, but a lot have turned into absolute junk! Surprisingly many of the koi that improved, were the ones that were not sold!

The merits of a TOSAI competition.

It is good to know which type of koi will improve and it is possible to learn the tendencies of a particular line.

We can compare the rearing skill and eyes of each other.

Whether rich man or poor, connoisseur or beginner, we can all join in this type of competition on equal ground.  

 In my view, it is not necessary to have fixed prices; I think this could also work with average and expensive Tosai. We could then check our selves against the eye of our dealer.

After you could have an auction of the koi if you wanted. Then a keen eyed man could get a good reward from a poor eyed rich man’s wallet!

In the photo you can see Mr Shirokura (the man wearing glasses)

He has won Grand Champion 3 years in succession.

He always picks his koi after everyone else has picked theirs!

Mr Sawai (the man with the Microphone)

He has very good growing skills in a small pond.

He is introducing his methods of very heavy aeration to help grow bigger koi.

From left to right....The winners

*TATEGOI prize
SHOWA by Mr.YOSHIWARA
15cm>>>26cm (+11cm)
*JUMBO prize
SHOWA (Maruyama) by Mr.SHIROKURA
21cm>>>47cm (+26cm!!!!)
*Grand Champion
SANKE (Matsunosuke KEI) by Mr.SHIROKURA
32cm>>>45cm (+13cm)

Also we have some funny prizes!
SHIROMUJI prize for the most faded pattern KOI.
Ungrowth prize for smallest  KOI.

The prizes are donated goods from shop and participators such as KOI food by shop and rice wine by the owner of liqueur shop, vegetables from a farmer and a bicycle for grand champion  owner.

Copyright Maurice Cox 2003