Koi Breeding at Ogata Koi Farm
- Kevin Warren
- 19h
- 6 min read
Koi Breeding At Ogata Koi Farm in Kyushu, Japan, begins with carefully selected parent Koi and millions of newly hatched fry. By autumn, only a fraction remain.
Millions Begin, Only the Best Remain
The first number is 7.4 million.
The final number is less than one percent.
This season, approximately 7.4 million fry hatch in the breeding ponds at Ogata Koi Farm, with the total expected to rise as spawning continues. By autumn, after three or four demanding rounds of selection, only 0.5 to 1 percent remain.
Between those two numbers is the true work of Nishikigoi breeding.
A mature Koi appears effortless as it moves through clear water. Its pattern, skin quality and body line come together in a way that seems natural. Producing that fish is anything but effortless. It requires carefully selected bloodlines, prepared ponds, precise timing and thousands of individual decisions.
The finished Koi may receive the attention, but the discipline begins long before its beauty becomes visible.
From Niigata to Kurume
Manabu Ogata begins his Nishikigoi training at the age of 18 at Izumiya Koi Farm in Niigata. Five years later, he returns to his family’s property in Kurume and begins full-scale production. He also becomes one of the early pioneers in exporting Japanese Koi.
During those early years, overseas customers demanded variety. Collectors wanted access to many different types of Nishikigoi, so Manabu produced many varieties.
Today, the market follows a more focused direction. Serious collectors increasingly look for Koi with excellent skeletal structure, strong conformation and the potential to reach a large size.
Pattern still catches the eye, but structure carries the fish.A young Koi may display an attractive pattern, yet without the proper frame, it may never develop into an impressive adult. The body must support the skin, color and pattern as the fish grows. This makes the selection of parent Koi one of the most important decisions of the entire breeding season.
Selecting the Parent Koi
The number of breeding pairs changes from year to year, but the program generally includes between 50 and 70 pairs.
The parent Koi are from several of Japan’s leading bloodlines, including koi from Sakai, Dainichi, Omosako, Matsue and Momotaro. The choice depends on the variety and the qualities sought from each individual pairing.
The breeding program includes the Gosanke varieties—Kohaku, Taisho Sanke and Showa Sanshoku—along with Shiro Utsuri, Goshiki, Koromo and Kujaku.vOther varieties include Ginrin Kohaku, Ginrin Showa, Ginrin Sanke, Ginrin Goshiki, Benigoi, Chagoi, Mukashi Ogon, Karashi, Platinum and Yamabuki.
Not every variety enters the breeding program each year. These are decisions made based on years of experience and demand.
This year, for example, the first spawning round used the strongest breeding pairs and produced an excellent result. The second round, near the end of May, was less successful. A third spawning round begins in July.
That variation is part of breeding. Experience allows the Ogata’s to prepare the conditions, select the parent fish and control the timing, but nature still determines much of the result.
The Controlled Moment
Artificial spawning is now the standard method.
Male and female parent Koi remain in separate ponds until shortly before spawning. On the selected day, nets and spawning mats go into place. When the fish are ready, they come out of the water and receive anesthesia for safe handling.
The eggs and sperm are collected separately and then combined for fertilization.
This controlled process allows the breeder to select the exact parent fish for each cross. It also reduces the risk of injury that can occur when large, valuable Koi spawn naturally in a confined area.
Once fertilization takes place, the calendar begins.
New Koi are welcomed
The eggs hatch on approximately the fourth day.
On the seventh day, the fry enter a prepared pond already stocked with cultivated Daphnia, or water fleas. These tiny living organisms provide an important natural food source during the fry’s earliest stage of development.
At first, the pond holds millions of possibilities.
The fry feed and grow as the earliest signs of body shape, color and pattern begin to appear. Most do not develop the qualities required of Nishikigoi. A small number begin to show promise.
Around the fortieth day, the first major selection begins.
Selection Is the Work
The word commonly used is “culling,” but the process is better understood as selection.
During the first round, only about 10 percent of the fry remain. The rest leave the breeding program. The fish are still very small, and many of their future characteristics remain incomplete. Even so, decisions must come quickly. Each fish receives only a brief examination before the next one enters the bowl.
The breeder looks beyond an attractive young pattern. Body shape, skin quality, color placement, balance and future development all matter. A fish that appears ordinary at this stage may possess the frame and skin quality to improve dramatically. Another may display an appealing early pattern but lack the structure necessary for long-term growth.
Sanke and Showa require an especially experienced eye. Their black pattern may continue to emerge or change as the fish develops, making early evaluation difficult. The permanent staff handles these more demanding varieties.
For more straightforward early selections, experienced acquaintances sometimes assist. This includes the first Kohaku selection and the black-fry selection used with Showa.
The difference is important. Each variety requires its own method of evaluation.
A Kohaku asks the breeder to study red, white, pattern placement and body. A Showa adds the uncertainty of developing sumi. A Sanke requires an understanding of how its black markings may complement the red and white as the fish matures.
The first selection removes the obvious weaknesses. The later selections become increasingly difficult.
Three or four rounds take place throughout the summer. With each round, the remaining Koi receive more space, food and attention. By autumn, fewer than 0.5 to 1 percent of the original fry remain.
From 7.4 million fry, the final number may still reach into the tens of thousands. Yet every remaining fish represents repeated examination and a decision that it carries enough quality or potential to continue.
A bowl fills.
A net moves.
A decision follows.
Then the process begins again.
This is where the value of Nishikigoi takes shape. The value does not come simply from rarity. It comes from the knowledge required to recognize potential while the fish is still young, and from the discipline to retain only those capable of carrying the breeding program forward.
Yusuke Ogata’s Direction
Yusuke Ogata respects the foundation established by his father while continuing to push the breeding program into new territory.
His goal is not simply to replicate what already exists. He wants to take on varieties that Ogata has not yet fully developed through its own breeding work.
This season, that direction includes Ginrin Kohaku, Kin Showa and Yamato Nishiki, the metallic form of Taisho Sanke. These varieties present different challenges. Ginrin requires strong reflective scales without sacrificing body quality or pattern. Kin Showa combines the complexity of Showa with metallic skin. Yamato Nishiki requires the balance of a Sanke together with the brilliance expected from a metallic Koi.
Producing these varieties consistently requires more than a successful spawning. It requires suitable parent fish, careful pairing and the patience to evaluate the results across multiple generations.
Manabu’s direction responded to an emerging international market that wanted access to a broad range of Nishikigoi. Yusuke now works within a market that places greater emphasis on body structure, growth potential and long-term development.
The direction continues to evolve, but the standard remains the same.
The Few That Remain
The breeding season follows an old rhythm.
Parent Koi enter the spawning program in spring and summer. Fry grow in carefully prepared ponds. Selection continues through the warm months. By autumn, the remaining young Koi move forward for continued development.
Modern methods provide greater control over spawning and bloodlines, but they do not shorten the process. Nishikigoi breeding still depends on patience, observation and the willingness to make difficult choices.
A great Koi receives admiration at the end of the journey, when its body, skin, color and pattern come together in the water.
Takeshima-2712 Yasutakemachi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0071, Japan
