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Sokubaikai

Scene upon arrival. A few hobbyists bought about 5 koi from the show vats

Driving around Niigata during certain times of the year, one would be very likely to encounter a “spot sale” known as sokubaikai in Japanese. Usually a cooperative effort amongst breeders living in the same village, small lots of koi are pre-bagged and marked with a price ready for quick sale. Those that are bagged may contain anywhere from 2 to 5 koi and tend to be relatively low in price. More selective ones can be found in the show vats, along with an attached collection of photographs bearing the corresponding prices.

While most of the koi on display may hold only limited appeal to serious hobbyists, the affair itself is rather interesting and is definitely worth stopping to have a look. Even if you find nothing that catches your eye, it is an excellent opportunity to meet breeders and ask what else they might have back at their shops. It goes without saying that this sort of event is only one of the things that make Niigata a very unique place in the world indeed.

More general grade koi are bagged and ready to go...

Dates on which these sokubaikai are held vary depending on the area, but generally tend to be held twice yearly. This particular one was in Asahi, Koguriyama on May 6-7th. The dates on which it is normally held are the first week in October for autumn, and during “Golden Week” (end of April through the beginning of May) in the spring. If you happen to be in the area during these times, why not take a moment and stop in to have a better look for yourself?

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