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Article
June/August 2003
Interview with Mr. Haruo
Aoki
by Mamoru Kodama
I visited Mr. Haruo Aoki today who came into the limelight
of the Nishikigoi world because he created varieties that
had not existed before in the Nishikigoi industry, such as
Kikokuryu and Beni Kikokuryu.
Kodama:
What of koi obsessed you in the first place, Mr. Aoki?
Aoki:
I was born in Iketani of Yamakoshi Village, the birthplace
of Nishikigoi. Because there were many koi breeders around
since my childhood, I was used to Nishikigoi naturally. There
was nothing like TV or radio in my childhood. All we could
do for fun was to catch fish in a stream or raise koi in
the rice fields. When I was in elementary school, I picked
edible wild plants like brackens or osmandas to sell. I also
peeled off skins of mulberries to sell. That is how I made
pocket money. I liked koi and so I tried hard to buy them.
And, with my pocket money, I bought 100 fry for 50 yen. One
year, 100 koi that I bought for 50 yen became 1000 yen in
the autumn. It was big money to a child like me. I was very
happy. Such experiences gave me a chance to devote to koi.
Kodama:
What was the variety of the koi?
Aoki:
It was Sanke (Taisho Sanke). I, as a child, did not understand
the value, but they seemed to have become really nice ones.
When the adult paid me 1000 yen, I was really surprised.
Kodama:
Did you continue to grow koi thereafter?
Aoki:
I wanted to breed koi when I grew up. But I got a job in
a restaurant in Osaka and studied cooking. After finishing
the training in Osaka in 1970, I opened a barbecue restaurant
in Katagai where I still am. I could not resist breeding
koi with my childhood memory, so I started koi breeding right
after in 1972.
Kodama:
It has been more than 30 years since 1972! You did
it for quite a long time.
Aoki:
It is definitely a hobby because I breed koi while
running the restaurant. But still I have been breeding koi
for more than 30 years.
Kodama:
What kind of policy do you have when it comes to koi breeding?
Aoki:
I thought that I should breed varieties that nobody does.
So that is what I have always been doing. About 15 years
ago, I thought that exporting would be a big thing and expected
that popular varieties abroad would be Doitsu and Hikarimono.
And so, I paid attention to "Kikusui" in Hikarimono
and tried to create a a new variety with it.
Kodama:
I see. 80% of koi produced in Niigata go abroad now. As you
exactly foresaw, the demand from foreign countries increased.
And Hikarimono is popular abroad. Especially, your Kikusui
and Kikokuryu are highly demanded. In this sense, you were
absolutely right, weren't you?
Aoki:
Recently, koi hobbyists in foreign countries improved their
eye for koi and have come to buy real nice ones. I think
we must make more efforts to improve the quality of koi and
we must create new varieties, too.
Kodama:
"
Kikokuryu" that you created made a sensation in the
Nishikigoi world. Please tell us about the creation process
of Kikokuryu.
Aoki:
It was 1993. 10 years ago, I crossbred a male Kumonryu with
a female Kikusui. At the time, "Kikokuryu" appeared.
When the Kikokuryu became three years old, it won "Best
in Variety" at the All Japan Combined Young Nishikigoi
Show.
Kodama:
The Kikokuryu at that time was beautiful because the sumi
pattern was described on a shiny platinum body, it is notan
exaggeration to say it was an innovative new variety. There
was no koi that had sumi on platinum. Your contribution
was truly great. Also, "Beni Kikokuryu," another
one of your creations, is famous. How did you create it?
Aoki:
It is also from a Kumonryu. Kikokuryu simply has sumi on
platinum. But by crossing a Kikusui with a Kumonryu, "the
red of the Kikusui" came out. Koi without red became
Kikokuryu whereas koi with red became Beni Kikokuryu.
Kodama:
Interesting. "Kin Kikokuryu" was created by Mr.
Seiki Igarashi in Ozumori. Please explain the difference
from that koi.
Aoki:
Kin Kikokuryu of Mr. Igarashi has gold. My Beni Kikokuryu
has "cinnabar red." It is a difference of gold
and cinnabar red.
Kodama:
I see. Because Mr. Igarashi crossed a Kumonryu with a Kin
Showa to create Kin Kikokuryu, it has a golden color. You
crossed a Kumonryu with a Kikusui for Beni Kikokuryu; it
has red.
Aoki:
Exactly. Therefore, my Beni Kikokuryu is characterized with
a deep red hi.
Kodama:
Speaking of characteristics, Beni Kikokuryu continuously
changes sumi, doesn't it?
Aoki:
Yes. The hi pattern of Beni Kikokuryu does not change, but
the sumi does depending on the environment. It is a fun part
of Beni Kikokuryu that the sumi changes like the Kumonryu.
Here (above photo) is a picture of the Beni Kikokuryu when
it won Best in Size at a koi show in England. The other picture
shows the same koi when it left Japan. More sumi appeared
after it arrived in England.
Kodama:
Mmmm. It changed very wonderfully. The change of sumi is
a charm of Beni Kikokuryu. Now, please tell us how you
breed Kikokuryu.
Aoki:
When I breed Kikokuryu, because its parent is Kumonryu, we
cull only black fry from the beginning to the end. After
they hatch, we first pick only the black fry. And while keeping
them for about 1 month, they grow about 3 cm (1.2?) long.
Again, we cull only black fry. At this culling, we throw
away gray ones and sort only lacquer black ones. And, at
the third culling, hi comes out little by little. But we
still put "sumi quality" as a top priority in culling.
Kodama:
Does platinum color appear at tosai?
Aoki:
At the first and second culling, platinum color does not
appear. At around the third time, it starts glittering. But
still, we sort them only by sumi quality. The sorting work
holds no enjoyment as in Kohaku and Taisho Sanke at all.
It is nothing but repetition, tedious sorting work.
Kodama:
I see. Beautiful Nishikigoi do not appear until you repeat
three cullings patiently, which is not fun or pleasant.
Around when does the sheen start appearing?
Aoki:
Well, at the third sorting when they are about 6 to 7 cm
(2.4? to 2.8?), the sheen can be recognized little by little.
The sheen gets stronger as the koi grows.
Kodama:
How many do you breed?
Aoki:
I had three pair laying eggs. I selected about 30,000 out
of 300,000 fry. And, I selected 3,000 tosai out of the 30,000
by autumn. I exported them around March to April.
Kodama:
Thank you for your time today.
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