| Lam
This fish that Ethan has posted is considered Tosai. It was born last year (probably spring), so it's just turning a year old. It is not ake-nisai until harvested at the end of the season. The Japanese will then call it nisai after this year's harvest, but in reality it would then be about 17-18 months old (on average).
Hi Mike, after seeing your post I did some research and found the following just to make sure that I understand this concept:
Here is what Brian Sousa quoted in the thread "Nishikigoi Terminology":
After hatching and making through the period of being fry, koi younger than 12 months are referred to as tosai.
After 1 full year of life, they are called nisai. People here will refer to tosai that have overwintered and coming upon their first birthday in the springtime as "ake-nisai".
Also, here are Kenji Konishi's interpretation in the article Find Your Nisai: Part Two Showa & Sanke, which is found on page 39 of the latest issue of Nichirin:
Tosai: koi during its birth year (sometimes until early spring of the 2nd year)
Ake Nisai: from January to March of the 2nd year
Nisai: during the second year, which means about 7 months old to 19 months old.
Sansai: during the third year.
So here is how I would apply these terminologies to Ethan's koi: Since it was born in April/May of 2007, it is called an ake-nisai right now. Once it is past its 1st birthday (April/May 2008), then it would officially be called a nisai (I translate this as a koi that is in its 2nd growing season). It would be a nisai until April/May of 2009. But during the spring of 2009, even though it is a nisai, it can also be called an ake-sansai (I translate this as a koi that is heading into its third growing season).
I hope that I got this concept right and I hope to hear others' input on this topic. |