Hosokai Koi Farm

Mr. Masaru Hosokai & Hosokai Koi Farm

Hosokai Koi Farm was founded in 1971 in Ojiya, Niigata by Mr. Shoichi Hosokai, the father of the current owner – Mr. Masaru Hosokai.

It has a raising area of 80,000 Square Metres and specialises in Asagi, Shusui, Goshiki, Goromo, and Go Sanke Koi varieties, among others.

The Hosokai family were originally rice farmers, but in 1970 the Japanese government began offering grants to people who would stop farming rice as the crop was being over produced. Mr. Shoichi Hosokai decided that then would be an opportune time to convert their fields into a Koi Farm, to follow his passion.

The first varieties that were bred at the newly established Koi farm were Ogon and Kujaku, as the ponds were clay based, and good for these fish to thrive in.

Around 1983 a different farmer, Mr. Watada, who specialised in Asagi closed down his farm and Mr. Hosokai received the parent stock.

Traditionally, Asagi were bred in areas with more sand or gravel based ponds, and it would be unusual for breeds that are unsuitable for clay to be bred there, however Mr. Hosokai wanted to try.

Mr. Watada’s Asagi bloodline at the time was the finest in all of Japan and Mr. Hosokai believed that their strengh and purity would overcome the unfavorable clay conditions and prosper regardless.

With a little bit of tinkering, and through trial and error, he proved to be right, and today the Asagi bred at Hosokai Koi Farm are stunning fish that are renowned the world over.

He began by crossing two distinctive types of Asagi named Narumi and Konjyo to eventually create the Asagi the farm is now famous for.

Around 50% of the fish are kept for the Japanese market, with the other 50% being sold worldwide.