Black and white from Omosako

[James P]

Maurice and others, an honest question- This breeder's shiro are legendary, been that way for at least ten years. But they are an old line of koi and seem very expensive for a line that doesn't get very big? The best females are in the $8,00 $ 12,000 range but don't usually see 70 cm as adults. Kohaku and sanke of equal quality and price ar easily 80 cm adults. So the question I have is- are these shiro living on past reputation or are they really worth the high price they command? JR

[Maurice]

Jim, they are not expensive in my mind. Not the sort of price you are talking.
You know Carl fairly well, go ask him what he thinks of the prices, I'm sure he will give you the same answer.
Maurice.

[Maurice]

I had not planned to buy at Omosako. I had spent out by a long way!
I missed a visit last harvest, we had planned to go, but Mike Snaden in his very organised way was WAY OUT, I say WAY OUT on his timing and it had to be cancelled.
So when Carl asked to go, I tagged along. While there I happened to mention that I would be returning this harvest to buy a female for my breeding program. Omosako san rushed me over to a pond and bowled the koi in question. He said it was one they had been keeping for future breeding, but I could have it if it were suitable.
I could not miss the chance so snapped it up. I can honestly say, given the pond to pick from, I would have picked the same one, it has all the qualities I look for and Mike will vouch for that fact that it is MY sort of shiro.
The photo does it no justice.
Maurice.

[paulw]

thank you for sharing your pictures of the visit to omosako who does produce some stunning shiro and from your purchace you can see the quality that this man can produce.

paul

[MikeM]

JR raises an interesting question... not just about Omasako, but the direction of shiro utsuri generally. My "knowledge" is limited to what I can glean from reading and photos. When I come across a photo of a larger sized shiro there is a messiness about the sumi that detracts considerably, or the shiro will not have the purity needed for the best contrast, or there is harshness that may reflect skin quality. (Ignore the occasional Rinko photo of large shiro ... cannot trust those whites to be accurate.) It must give the judges a challenge in balancing size and relative quality.

Is there a shiro breeder trying to introduce super-jumbo genes? I expect it took a lot to get the red bred out and it would not be an easy thing for a shiro breeder to use a genetic line with red in it. The breeder would have to be a risk taker.

[shiromujigirl]

I have an about 80 cm Oomo Shiro. And she came from 80 cm parents. But she was sold to me by one of the 40 Theives of Chiba. So now maybe she is not really an Oomo Shiro I am thinking..

[James P]

SMG, might be a simple confusion of names? Oomo Fugio is in the Niigata area. He breeds showa and may have shiro. Yagenji and Oya have the nicest Shiro in that part of the woods. In the Southern Islands, Hiroshima area, is the breeder Omosako. He is the most famous shiro breeder. These fish tend to be traded and it is not unusual to see his fish all over- especially in the other Hiroshima breeders fish houses.
The fish Mongers from Chiba will go shopping during the week and take pictures of fish for sale, only they don't hold the inventory in most cases. They are just brokering the stock. We see them often when we are shopping in the mountains. They come back the next day with an order and if the fish is still there they buy it for their customers. The Chiba clan also act as guides for small foreign dealers and takes them around, getting a cut of the action for their trouble. So you may have what you thought you did after all? JR

[shiromujigirl]

OK do you know who is breeding from jumbo shiros? Her white is very but her sumi is slow and still coming up. She definitely comes from jumbo stock. Long shoulder, big tail tube. She is five years old now. Who could the breeder be?

[Ian_&_Terri]

Nice photo's Maurice... nice to live vicariously through others
Got a pic SMG of your shiro?

Regards Ian

[shiromujigirl]

Sure. I will take a picture of her in next weekend's Koi Measurement Rodeo, which has become like All Star Calf Wrestling.