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Article
July/August 2004
Kansuke Koi Farm –Part
1
by Mamoru Kodama
When asked, “What is the highest graded koi in Japan?,” the
answer is koi from the breeder whose koi won, Grand Champion
at All Japan Nishikigoi Show. Look at picture 1. At a glance,
everybody can understand that the koi expresses the highest
quality of Kohaku with its pure white skin, deep red hi and
lively body conformation. The breeder of this Kohaku is Mr.
Seiji Tomono at Kansuke Koi Farm. I interviewed him this
time.
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Kodama:
Breeding the Grand Champion koi at the All Japan Nishikigoi
Show proves that you are one of the top breeders in Japan.
What policy do you have as a top breeder?
Tomono:
It is a difficult question, but I think it really is “how
clear your goal is” and “how much you are dedicated
to the goal.”
Kodama: I see.
Tomono:
Each breeder has its own goal. For example, some breeders
may want to breed small but beautiful koi. Others may try
to breed large koi. There are as many goals as breeders.
The question is how strong you want to realize the goal
and how much you can devote yourself into it. In my case,
I wanted to win Grand Champion at the All Japan Nishikigoi
Show. And I have always thought what I should do to win
and what kind of koi I should breed.
Kodama:
Grand Champion at the All Japan Nishikigoi Show equals top
breeder in Japan. Your policy is “to keep strong
desire to win the grand champion.”
Tomono:
Yes, it is very difficult, but absolutely true.
Kodama:
Now let us know about the root of “Kansuke Kohaku.”When
was your company founded?
Tomono:
My mother actually started the business. And I took over
the business.
Kodama:
So your mother start this?! Then, may I ask you a few questions?
Please introduce me to her.
Tomono:
She is now 84 years old. Her name is Kiku.
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Mother
of Mr. Tomono
She shares her story with Kodama |
Kiku:
Because my parents bred koi, I liked koi very much since
my childhood. My husband, who is Seiji’s father,
was a local official. So he did not breed koi. But we were
also a rice farmer. So I released and raised koi in the
rice fields.
Kodama:
Did you breed the fry?
Kiku:
No, I was not able to breed them. I bought fry from my father
or Hoshikin Koi Farm nearby and released them.
Kodama:
Do you remember how long ago that was?
Kiku:
It is about 50 years ago.
Kodama:
How much were they at the time?
Kiku:
I usually had a budget of 10,000 Yen. I got what my parents
bred, so I am not sure exactly how much. When they had a
good crop, they gave me 2000 or even 3000 fry. I released
them to the rice fields around June.
Kodama:
Did you harvest them in autumn?
Kiku:
Yes. When we harvested rice, we pulled koi at the same time.
That was the most exciting moment.
Kodama:
How many did you harvest by autumn?
Kiku:
I was able to take at least 300 every year.
Kodama:
Did you sell them?
Kiku:
No. Because I am a woman, I did not sell them. Because I
liked them, I kept them. I released those koi to a mud
pond about 3550 square feet wide and raised them to 2 years
old.
Kodama:
Because you liked them, you raised them.
Kiku:
Yes. Because I was a woman and also because my husband had
a salary, I did not have to sell them. I was able to raise
koi simply for my pleasure. I cannot describe how exciting
it was to catch koi at the time of rice harvest. And my son
took over what I like as his business. This is a very pleasant
thing.
Kodama:
So did you help your mother since your childhood?
Tomono:
Yes, I did. Since I was a kid, I was with her and chased
after koi in the rice fields. Because there was no entertainment
like TV nor Nintendo, helping her was
my daily task. Catching
koi was one of my favorite events. I remember I helped
her very much.
Kodama:
When did you start thinking about making your mother’s
favorite koi activity as your business?
Tomono:
It was 1965.
Kodama:
Is the variety Kohaku?
Tomono:
Yes. This Shiodani area has many breeders such as Hoshikin
Koi Farm and Seki Carp. Their breeding variety was also Kohaku.
So I began with Kohaku, too.
Kodama:
Is that Kohaku the origin of the present “Kansuke Kohaku”?
Tomono:
Actually, not. It was Showa that made me realize the true
attractiveness of breeding koi. It was about 5 to 6 years
after I took over koi breeding from my mother. In 1970, I
got a pair of Showa. It was the famous Showa brand “Kobayashi
Showa” at the time. The pair produced very nice koi.
At the autumn harvest, I sold those for very good prices.
Then, I realized koi business can actually bring a good profit.
Since then, I became more serious about koi breeding.
Kodama:
The Shiodani area is the mecca of Kohaku. Showa in this area
sounds interesting.
Tomono:
I agree. Shiodani area is famous for Kohaku. And breeders
here produce only Kohaku. So buyers who come here have come
for Kohaku from the beginning. But nobody wants to spend
good money for Kohaku that a novice breeder produces. That
is why I bred Showa.
Kodama:
You bred what nobody bred in this area. That is very smart.
Tomono:
Luckily, my Showa turned out beautiful. Buyers who did not
even care about me started buying koi from me. I thought
the koi business was very interesting.
Kodama:
Did you continue to breed Showa?
Tomono:
No. Because I still believed that Kohaku was the best variety
for the clay quality in this area, I bred Showa only for
2 years and then switched to Kohaku again.
Kodama:
Did those buyers purchase your Kohaku at the time?
Tomono:
Yes. After all, what counts is determination. My Kohaku before
I bred Showa was a lower quality than others. No buyer would
buy a lower-quality koi. Being in this Shiodani area, I was
very determined to breed “high quality Kohaku that
beats others.” That helped me to breed high quality
Kohaku and buyers started to buy Kohaku from me. In this
sense, 1970 was a turning point. Showa gave me the right
mental attitude as a koi breeder.
Kodama:
Tell us in more details.
Tomono:
As long as you are a koi breeder, you must have a “right
mental attitude as a koi breeder.” I set my firm goal
to breed “higher quality Kohaku than anybody else” in
this very competitive Shiodani area. From the moment I set
that goal, I was able to breed Kohaku that buyers can buy.
Kodama:
I see that strong determination.
Tomono:
The experience with Showa taught me that koi must be better
in “uniqueness,” “beauty” and “size.” To
achieve it, you truly devote yourself. At first, I bred Showa
that nobody bred in Shiodani in order to attract buyers.
Then, I decided to breed the best Kohaku in Shiodani. Then
I decided to breed the best in Japan, which is Grand Champion
at All Japan Nishikigoi Show.
Kodama:
I see. That is how you finally bred the grand champion with
Kohaku on the picture.
…To Be Continued
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