Remarks at the Aloha Koi Show

  By Yoshi Kamo, Consul General of Japan

February 19, 2011

アロハ・コイ・ショー

Aloha!

I am pleased to be here at the Aquarium today to participate in the Aloha Koi Show.

Like previous years, there are so many people coming out here and are about to enjoy the most beautiful fish we have in Hawaii. Koi is fish, but Koi Show is not just another fishery show. Koi is more complex, as you can imagine. It tries to demonstrate a way of life, aesthetic values, business, passion, genetics and breeder’s joy, etc. Koi breeding enchants many in depth in many ways. We have developed Koi breeding technique and aesthetics for many years in Japan. Today, we are most fortunate to enjoy magnificent Koi tended by dedicated producers in Hawaii.

Koi breeding is one of the most expensive hobbies because of the high price for a great koi. In Japan, it is associated with a hobby for rich men who can afford to a large Japanese garden with a koi pond and expensive kois. But at the same time, koi breeding is a passion to pursue the most beautiful thing in the world. You create the beauty with patters and colors through your devotion and passion for the fish. This is a wonderful palette in which you create your own world, to express your artistic temperament. For ordinary people, to keep koi in his pond is a sensible hobby. It is beautiful, peaceful and fulfilling. To enjoy koi swim elegantly, you just stare them swim effortlessly in the water. Koi will comfort you immensely by the gentle and graceful movement. We have a peace of mind to see koi in the pond. Koi viewing is now taken to a psychological therapy to relieve apprehension from cancer patients. Koi is special and beautiful.

In sum, Koi lovers know how to enjoy life. Koi breeding is not just physical experience. It is more mental experience. Just like Zen Buddhism, or sitting in meditation, watching Koi swimming gracefully will make you feel peaceful, tranquil and serene. While you will get excited to breed kois in your ponds. You get excitement from breeding koi, while you get a peace of mind from koi. This is a unique experience. Nothing compares with breeding Koi in having this unique feel and appreciation. Koi can be sold expensively, making koi breeding a hansome business if you can successfully running your breeding operation. You combine genetics and business. The more you spend your time on it, the more you draw pleasure from it.

Koi breeding is an added enjoyment of life originated from Japan to koi breeders in Hawaii, and beyond Hawaii.  It is Japan’s unique contribution to the entire human race. We are good at creating new activities of appreciation for nature. Fish is everywhere in the world. But we cultivated and refined our aesthetic values in fish to the point that it becomes the object of devotion and dedication. It is an attempt to combine nature and science, natural beauty and human ingenuity. That is why so many people have been enchanted by breeding kois. To some Koi enthusiasts, koi breeding is a way of life, just like, tea ceremony or karate.

We are fortunate that we have experts from Japan to tell us what the best is, sharing their knowledge and artistic inspiration with us in enjoying or breeding koi.

This is an excellent opportunity for us to enjoy koi as well as to develop our new realm of appreciation. I hope you will make the most of this and enjoy the unique pleasure that is open to us all, which will make a difference in our life. Enjoy!