Aoki Tosai – Arriving This Friday

It's been a few weeks since our last online release, but we're pleased to say the next one is nearly ready.

We've been completing quarantine on a new group of around 30 selected tosai from Aoki Koi Farm, Niigata, Japan. They have now completed that process successfully, and we're busy photographing and cataloguing each fish ahead of their online release this Friday evening.

The two photographs above give a small glimpse of the collection we're working through.

Aoki Koi Farm

Aoki has become one of Japan's most recognisable breeders of metallic koi, producing fish with a style that is instantly identifiable. While many breeders are best known for Gosanke, Aoki has developed a reputation for metallic varieties that combine bright, lustrous skin with striking scale definition and unusual colour combinations.

Their fish have become increasingly popular with hobbyists looking to add something a little different to their ponds.

The 'Yellow Dragons'

Perhaps the best-known of Aoki's bloodlines are the fish affectionately referred to by many enthusiasts as the "Yellow Dragons."

Their intense yellow metallic colour, combined with strong reticulated scaling, creates an appearance that is unlike almost any other variety. They have a remarkable presence in the pond, particularly as they mature and the metallic lustre develops further.

Several examples from this release show exactly why these fish have become so sought after.

Alongside the Yellow Dragons, this collection also includes a varied mix of other metallic and patterned varieties that Aoki is well known for, giving the release plenty of diversity.

Preview Videos

Over the next few days we'll be adding preview videos from today's harvesting and cataloguing work, giving you an early look at the collection before Friday's release.

Preview videos will appear here over the coming days:

▶️ Harvesting the Aoki tosai 

▶️ Individual bowl previews (coming soon)

We'll update this section as the videos are ready.