Koi Farm

Dainichi Tosai

It's unusual for an American to meet one Japanese Prince, but Brett might just lay claim to having met two. The young man would deny nobility in the Japanese sense, but he has shown it in spirit. Here in the States, where what a man does counts for more than how he was born, we think that's the royalty that counts.

Ask a well-taught Koi enthusiast the first variety name learned as a beginner, and chances are good it was Kohaku. Ask them of the most famous blood line and farm, and you will probably hear "Dainichi". There is no Mr. Dainichi (at least, not connected with the famous farm Dainichi Yorijo), but there is the Mano family that founded the farm, and Minoru Mano who may be the greatest Koi breeder alive today. Shigeru is his youngest son.

Shigeru Mano came to Texas as an exchange student, living in the home of Mr. Ron Goforth, one of the highest ranking ZNA officials outside of Japan. While Brett was still breeding fish for the Great Lakes Koi farm with Mike Wood, Ron introduced the quiet and reserved young man. In time, despite the language barrier, Brett and Mike became friends with Shigeru. Last November, it became evident that the respect they held for him was reciprocated.

The occasion was Shigeru's first sale of fish in the United States. They were Dainichi tosai—young of the year—less than six inches long. Because such fish come from some of the most highly regarded broodstock in the world, and are culled intensely before they reach this size, tosai from Dainichi tend to be striking and are likely to grow into prizewinners at almost any Koi show outside Japan. It is not unlikely that fewer than one fingerling in 1,000 from these champion broodstock will be available in the States as Tosai, and Koi dealers vie eagerly for the chance to sell such fish. Shigeru was not a mere Koi dealer, however, he was a member of a Koi dynasty. Nor were these young-of-the-year culls exported from Japan to make room for potential Japanese champions. The son of Mr. Mano had brought individuals from that small fraction of the year class which would ordinarily remain in Japan to later be sold at astronomical prices. In fact, as direct descendants of a famous Japanese Grand Champion, the Inazuma Showa, there was probably not another group of fish like them outside of Japan.

Brett knew exactly what kind of fish Shigeru had brought. As a breeder, the chance to procure probable prizewinners from the Inazuma bloodline must have been sweet enough to taste. On the other hand, he was surrounded by people who would want them equally for the prestige of owning them, and many of those present were customers for Brett's own best fish. He knew wars started over who possessed beauty—just think of a certain Helen of Troy and the Trojan war—so Brett kept quiet and waited for others to snap up the fish.

Nobody was rushing forward to buy them. Shigeru had priced the fish expertly, but most of those present were not accustomed to seeing small fish selling for almost $100 per inch. Mike made it worse: He whispered that Brett would never have another chance to add Inazuma offspring to his breeding program. Brett still kept quiet. So did everybody else; nobody seemed to realize how much these fish would be worth in just a few more years. Finally Brett couldn't stand it anymore. He broke the silence with a question:

"How much for all of them?"

Now Shigeru was put on the spot. By this time Brett and he were friends, but he knew Brett was a breeder who could and would grow out the fish to improve his own farm's program with one of Dainichi's finest blood lines. Shigeru also must've also known that by selling these fish to enthusiasts, he could only enhance the reputation of his family's farm with every top prize the fish would certainly win... while a breeder like Brett would never let the stunning fish leave his farm again.

I wonder, after hearing about Shigeru, if he didn't also think about his father. There are stories of the remarkable generosity of Minoro Mano to those who have earned his admiration. Maybe these examples, in addition to respect and friendship held for Brett, led Shigeru to permit an American Koi breeder to add descendants of the Inazuma Showa to his quest to create the finest living art ever born on our continent. We'll probably never know, but it wouldn't surprise me too much.

Perhaps it's ironic that after living years in Japan, Brett has met the most extraordinary Japanese people only after moving back to Texas. First, he was fortunate enough to meet Prince Akishino of the Japanese Royal family. Ten years later he has gotten to know Shigeru Mano of another Japanese Dynasty. As if the priviledge of breeding the noblest fish wasn't honor enough.

Last revised 2 March 1998