Utsuri

Utsurimono is the name of a A show class with three representatives (varieties). Utsuri is a Japanese word meaning something like reflection or mirror image. It always involves a koi with a black base, where the reflection (the mirror image) represents the pattern color. Ideally, the color distribution is approximately 50% black (base color) and 50% another color (pattern color).

The most popular representative of the Utsurimono class is the Shiro Utsuri. Shiro means white. This means it is a black koi with a white pattern. This fish is second only to the representatives under Go Sanke (Kohaku, Sanke, and Showa) are considered the most popular koi varieties. The most beautiful Shiro Utsuri have a clean transition from black to white, without an intermediate color (gray), and have no shimi (black speckles) in the white pattern. Ideally, a jet-black koi with a snow-white, clean pattern, well-distributed across the body in not too small areas. In fact, you could consider a Shiro Utsuri as a Showa without red. Showa breeding therefore produces many Shiro Utsuri offspring. The risk with these fish is that they develop (secondary) hi. Several Japanese breeders have included the Shiro Utsuri as a specialty in their breeding programs. The most well-known are Omosako in southern Japan and Kaneko in the west, but Kobayashi and Kawakami are also making significant progress. The greatest challenge is to breed larger Shiro Utsuri (over 80 centimeters) without sacrificing quality. If this succeeds (more often), then more Shiro Utsuri will take top honors at a koi show than is currently the case.

The next Utsurimono representative is the Hi Utsuri. Hi is Japanese for red. This is a black koi with a red pattern. Essentially a Showa without the white. These koi can also be a magnificent sight in the pond. The rules are the same as those for Shiro Utsuri: a beautiful balance of black and red, no shimi in the red, and a clean color transition. Shinoda, a breeder in western Japan, is the king of the Hi Utsuri. He regularly breeds specimens that reach well over 80 centimeters and possess unparalleled quality.

The last representative in the Utsurimono class is the Ki Utsuri. Ki stands for yellow, so here we are dealing with a black koi with a yellow pattern. In fact, the Ki Utsuri was the first Utsurimono to see the light of day. Elzaburo Hoshino bred the first specimen in 1921 by crossing a Ki Bekko with a Magoi (an ancient carp, kept for consumption). This variety was later improved by Mosaku Hiroi. However, the Ki Utsuri (even today) cannot match the Shiro and Hi Utsuri. The combination of bright yellow and jet black proves to be a difficult one. The metallic variety (Kin Ki Utsuri) is more popular because the yellow is more pronounced. The disadvantage is that metallic black often looks somewhat grayish. There is still room for improvement in this area.