[jnorth]

Quote: Originally Posted by RayJordan Here are some of the relevent dates listed in Kuroki's Manual to Nishikigoi published in 1981, p271 for the oldest amature koi keepers societies in Japan. Prior to that time all koi organizations were for professional breeders/dealers. 1955 - Nippon Nishigoi Society (Niigata area) 1956 - Western Hiroshima Koi Friends Society (Hiroshima area) 1962 - Oita Airinkai 1965 - Western Hiroshima Koi Friends and Oita Airinkai united and name changed to Western Nippon Airinkai 1965-1966 - Koi Societies from, Chugoku, SHikoku, Kansai, and Kyushu joined WNA. 1968 - WNA changed name to Zen Nippon Airinkai (1968)

This may not matter in this discussion but if you look at pg 36 in Masayuki Amano's "Live Jewels" General Survey of Fancy Carp

"Further, during the Meiji era (1874-1875, A.D.) superb carp belonging to the "Sarasa", "Asagi (light yellow), and "Ki-utsuri" (yellow-tinted) were brought into exsistence, some of which were so high-priced as fifty yen at the money value in those days. Seeing that carp breeding bordered on speculation, the Prefecture authorities considered it proper to put a temporary stop to the industry. These mountain villages, however, had no other noticeable means of livelihood and pastime, and so the ban was lifted before long."

While he doesn't mention clubs it is clear that koi keeping was a pastime for them which means it was a hobby back then as well. The fact that some of them went for higher prices then others clearly shows some sort of judging was used to classify them as being worth more then others.