Fish as living ornament
In Japan, ornamental fish are kept for the pleasure of looking at them. Two kinds are best known: koi, colorful carp that live in ponds, and kingyo, goldfish, which are kept in bowls, tubs and smaller ponds. They are different animals with different histories, and they are valued in different ways. Koi are often seen as grand and calm, almost like a moving painting in a garden. Goldfish are seen as small, delicate and associated with summer.
This article is about the cultural side of keeping fish and not about animal care. Anyone who decides to keep fish should consult a knowledgeable local supplier or keeper, since koi and goldfish need suitable water, space and attention over many years.
Koi: from food carp to colored jewels
The word koi means “carp,” and also sounds like a different word meaning “affection” or “love,” a wordplay that is sometimes mentioned. Carp were known in Japan long before ornamental koi appeared, and plain carp were kept or eaten in many places.
The colorful varieties known as nishikigoi, “brocade carp,” are generally said to have been developed in the snowy mountain areas of what is now Niigata Prefecture. The usual account is that villagers noticed carp with unusual patches of color among the ordinary dark fish and began to breed them selectively, in roughly the nineteenth century. The details are not well documented, so this is better treated as a general tradition than as a precise record. Over later decades, breeders produced a range of patterns that are now sorted into named groups.
Some well-known groups are:
- Kohaku, with red markings on a white body
- Sanke, red and black markings on white
- Showa, black with red and white
- Ogon, a single metallic color, often gold or platinum
Viewers judge koi by the clarity of color, the balance of the pattern, the body shape and the way the fish moves. Experts usually look at a fish from above, because that is how it is seen in a pond. Many opinions are a matter of taste, and enthusiasts argue about them with great passion.
Goldfish: a Chinese import with a Japanese life
Goldfish were bred from a type of carp in China, and they arrived in Japan some centuries ago, often said to be during the Muromachi period or soon after. At first they were an expensive curiosity for the wealthy. In the Edo period, as breeding spread, they became a pastime for ordinary city people too. Edo townspeople kept them in bowls, and sellers walked the streets carrying tubs of fish to sell.
Over time, a number of distinct types appeared with rounded or fan-shaped tails, bulging eyes or a head with a rounded cap. Many have a charm that comes from their shape as much as their color, and some are bred for viewing from above and others from the side.
Goldfish are strongly linked to summer. A bowl of goldfish suggests cool water on a hot day, and glass bowls are a favorite image in summer decoration. At summer festivals, the goldfish-scooping game is one of the most beloved stalls. Players use a thin paper scoop that tears easily, and children try to catch a fish before the paper breaks. Keeping a fish won in this way is a common first experience of caring for a pet, although many of these fish do not live long, a reminder that they need proper care.
Fish in gardens
The pond with carp is a familiar part of many Japanese garden designs, especially in larger gardens from the Edo period onward. Early pond gardens in the Heian court and later strolling gardens used water as a central feature, and in time fish were added to the picture. Colorful koi gliding under a bridge or past a stone lantern are a modern image of the Japanese garden, but the practice of keeping them in garden ponds is better understood as one tradition among many. Dry gardens, for example, contain no water or fish at all, and the contrast is part of what makes the approaches to garden design in Japan so varied.
A pond with koi also invites a certain way of looking. Visitors watch slowly, feed the fish and listen to the water. This kind of quiet attention fits with the broader love of nature seen in other Japanese arts, although it is a very human, managed form of nature.
Meaning and symbolism
Carp carry a number of associations. A well-known Chinese legend tells of a carp that swims up a waterfall called the Dragon Gate and is transformed into a dragon. In Japan, the story was taken up as a symbol of determination and success. This is the reason carp-shaped streamers are flown for boys in early May, and why koi motifs appear on festive items. Koi are also considered to be a sign of good fortune, and their long life, which in some cases can last several decades, adds to that feeling.
Fish in art
Fish appear often in painting and on decorative objects. Carp swimming in a stream, leaping up rapids or viewed through water were popular subjects in ink painting, and woodblock artists in the Edo period made prints of carp and goldfish. Textile patterns and lacquer designs also use fish as motifs, as do tattoos, though that subject is outside this article. Because the fish are depicted in motion, artists often tried to capture the curve of the body and the swirl of the water in a few strokes.
Keeping a tradition alive
Today, koi shows are held in Japan and abroad, and Japanese breeders are known internationally. Goldfish have a loyal following, with clubs and competitions. At the same time, both koi and goldfish are a reminder that a hobby depends on living creatures, so responsible keeping, honest labeling of sales and sensible expectations about lifespans matter. Tradition and care go together.