The history of koi keeping in the USA.

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori Man you should write an article for KoiUSA, before Koi Nations snags this interesting history lesson....

Tonio
Joe will not be talking to anyone regarding his family history. As I have alraedy secured him for Koi USA.... I always think ahead..

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nancy M. Tonio Joe will not be talking to anyone regarding his family history. As I have alraedy secured him for Koi USA.... I always think ahead..

It is always nice to see history documented, thanks again Nancy.

[schildkoi]

Nancy,
I am sure a certain editor will be greatful. Let's see, seminat pins, MPKS show pins, etc.

Steve

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by schildkoi Nancy, I am sure a certain editor will be greatful. Let's see, seminat pins, MPKS show pins, etc. Steve

LOL, I knew that one good deed, would get me a present

[Campcheryl]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nancy M. LOL, I knew that one good deed, would get me a present

Man I am glad he did not say "purse."

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by Campcheryl Man I am glad he did not say "purse."

Cheryl,
I am not a greedy woman, I already got a new purse from Don, I figure I am good till my birthday or Christmas.

[Nancy M.]

After much thought, and a really long conversation with Joe, I will not be posting anymore information on this thread. I have received some really nice pictures of the operation from 1937 through 1958, I will be getting a few more pics, as Joe is going through his things this weekend.

Koi USA will be doing an article with all the photos and information I have gathered, from Joe. Some may be very surprised at the history I was able to obtain, Importing, growing, breeding, sales, and shipping, information. I think the shipping will be the most enjoyable part for many to read. Oh wiat maybe it will be the mud pond set up they had, or the type of filtration ..

After I seen the first couple pictures, I had 100 new questions.. I am surprised in the amount of history I was able to obtain. I will be doing a couple more interviews with Joe, before I submit it to Steve Childers.

Those of you who are history buffs, are really going to enjoy this.. Lots and Lots of koi history, coming soon to Koi USA.

[JasPR]

It was Peter Waddington that always said that more important than accomplishments of legendary breeders, the invention of the bottom drain, the advancement of the koi medicine, etc was a much more simple yet much more important contribution to the koi hobby--- and that was--- the plastic bag! For without the plastic bag there could be no real export business! Add to this, bottled oxygen and you have an industry with no real limits. Today koi can be shipped and survive up to 30 hours if conditions are right.
It is rare that biology and chemistry come together so well in a synergistic way as in the lowly plastic bag! As the fish pumps out the 'seeds of it's own destruction' in the form of toxic ammonia gas, the carbon dioxide generated by the same fish lowers the pH of the water within the bag, making the ammonia less toxic to the captive. Really what I would call, an elegant solution! Now only time and temperature become the 'spoilers' to this see thru space capsule.
There are may accounts of dealers who would travel by rail to Yamakoshi village to buy fish to sell to the rich in Tokyo or move down to Hiroshima ( devastated by the war) to rebuild koi farms from what was surviving in the mountains surrounding the flattened and scorched plain. Imagine, boarding a train with a wooden water filled box with no air-conditioning on board. And there were no bullet trains so this was a long ride! The carrier would fan the water and dip in cups and pour back the water to encourage oxygenation.
Add to this the fact that fish were indeed hardier and you could assume that if not for the plastic bag, high end inbred koi could never have been moved out of their native homes.
I look forward to reading Nancy's article as it should shed some light on what happened on the receiving end of koi shipping in the old days-
Here is a photo of a transport container from the 1960s.

[RogerL]

Fascinating stuff!

I'm a Brit who has been on this side of the pond for 20 years. I grew up in rural south west England and have memories of my father building a concrete watergarden (certainly not a "koi pond") of, perhaps, 1500 gallons. No filtration (that I can remember) but a large bail of barleystraw at the top of a small waterfall - pump was so small that the thing barely trickled.

Anyway.... I distinctly remember the day that my father brought home two koi - nothing special I'm sure - and I would guess they were both about 8". The neighbors came over to see and were fascinated. I'm guessing this was around 1969. No idea where they came from (I'll ask him). They did, however, live a long time - the largest grew to, perhaps 20" and was still in there when I went to college in 1979.

Anyway, my question is.... the UK had no great influx of post-war Japanese culture that I'm aware of, yet it seems to be generally accepted that the Brits have been ahead of the US when it comes to koi keeping. Why is this? Is it simply the influence of Waddy and others? Does it come from the (almost "genetic") interest in gardening, with ponds/watergardening as a significant subset? Is it in some way linked to "empire", commonwealth and trade? or is it something else?

Just interested.

Roger

[JasPR]

Hi Roger. Yes it is true, The Brits were ahead of the USA in the development of a koi culture/cult. Some say it goes back to the love of water gardening and a fascination with the orient in general, that had early water gardens with koi swimming about in them?
Waddy was actually an early pioneer to Japan and I'd call him one of the earliest of the 'new generation' that spawned the 'proper koi keeper' in England and irreversibly changed koi keeping to a speciality hobby and separate and distinct from water gardens and goldfish keeping.
If you are interested I can fill you in on the early presence of Waddy's inspiration, Roland Seal, who really started the BKKS and the first actual trips TO Japan to get fish. There is also a separate lineage of home grown koi keeping that rose directly from the water gardening groups and they played large in the subscription base of the old Aquarist and Pond keeper group ( and magazine). Cheers, JR