Showa Sanshoku

[Terri]

Next let's discuss Showa, another of 'Big 3' (Gosanke - kohaku, sanke, & showa) in the 14 classes of koi which are judged at koi shows. This variety happens to be my favourite of them all :grin:

Showa Sanshoku
Description: a Koi with calligraphic sumi (black) pattern on Kohaku pattern - a black-bodied koi that has red (hi) and white markings. This description is often used because the base color of the koi (the color of the belly, the mouth, and the base of the pectoral fins) is black.
Showa can be normally scaled, ginrin (scales which exhibit a sparkling effect), or doitsu (with lines of scales on the back and along the lateral lines, without scales, or with only one line of scales on each side along the base of the dorsal fin).
Patterns: Showa have much more sumi in their patterning than Sanke, having red markings on white patterns formed on the predominantly black background. The large sumi markings should be the colour of ebony, hi should be blood red, white should be crisp and clean while complimenting the over-all pattern. Showa should have uniform sumi on the base pectoral fins (motoguru). All three colours should appear on the face, this is most appealing when the three are in harmony with one another, creating a beautiful design.
Hi Showa have a large hi (red) patch that runs from the head to the tail.
A Tancho Showa is a black and white patterned koi with a red spot centered on it's head.
The Kindai (modern day) Showa has large amounts of white, which has become fashionable in Showa, making it hard to tell a Showa from a Sanke - but a Showa should always have a black pattern on it's head (i.e. manware), a Sanke will not (in most cases).
Boke Showa, the Sumi on this variation of Showa is blurred, making it seem
closer to gray than black in appearance.
Varieties of Showa appear in other classifications such as: Koromo, Kawarimono(Kage Showa,Kankoko Showa), Hikari-Utsurimono(Kin Showa).
History: It is called Showa because the variety was created in the era of Showa in Japan, developed by Jukichi Hoshino who paired a Kohaku with a Ki-Utsuri and made its debut during 1927.


Please feel free to add your own comments and pictures of your Showa!! If you have questions then by all means ask!!

My Showa examples...

[Jackie Ramo]

I like both of them Terri but prefer the more black one. Neither look like the one I did the tile of for you.

Don't own one myself or I could post it as being a bad example. Just a grasshopper when it comes to koi varieties.

[Terri]

LOL Jackie, the first pic is the Showa in the tile - it's pattern/colour is just more developed. The second pic would be 'not ideal' example in it's present development stage... more of a Kindai showa and I prefer the more traditional style myself.

[Jackie Ramo]

It really has changed then. Although I think I prefer the earlier version

http://www.jackieramo.com/PORTFOLIO/Commissioned%20Art/images/koitile_01_jpg.jpg

[marla]

Ok Terri, this may sound like a dumb question, (but I've always been told no dumb questions if you don't know) You said all three colors should be present on the head, how far down from the nose is considered the head? If this is one difference in a sanke and kindai showa

[Jackie Ramo]

Not Terri but, I consider anything ahead of the gills including the gills the head.

[marla]

Thanks Jackie, that's what I was thinking, but just checking.

[Jackie Ramo]

Its the tail part that is tricky. When do you count the tail as part of the fish and how much. :wink:

[Terri]

Ok Terri, this may sound like a dumb question, (but I've always been told no dumb questions if you don't know) tis very true marla ;)
You said all three colors should be present on the head, how far down from the nose is considered the head? If this is one difference in a sanke and kindai showaThe main difference between sanke and showa (kindai) is that sanke are a 'white' based koi with a dappled (or small block) sumi pattern along the back/sides and showa are a 'black' based koi with large 'stripes'(like a tiger or zebra) of sumi which wrap their bodies.
Here's a side by side example
http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/LL60_22-macro_resize.JPG http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/SANKEpattern_resize.jpg
#1 is a Showa (Kindai or New Age), notice the wrap I spoke of - #2 is a Sanke, see the 'blocks' of sumi and their location.

To answer your question - by show judging standards sanke should have NO black on their heads BUT if there is a sumi mark on the head it is seen as a fault unless it is complimentary to the over all pattern. I think having sumi above the eye level on the head is 'o.k.'.

Koi heads: like Jackie describes... the area of the head (or face) is not covered in scales, it's just skin.
http://backyardpuddle.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10001/koihead.jpg

Jackie, are you speaking on the tail tube or the caudal (tail) fin?

[Jackie Ramo]

To me the tail starts where the scales stop.

[marla]

Ok, I think I get it. Now the underlying black patterns ( like on # 1 under the white, not real visable) is that color yet to come to the surface? The sanke I have has quite a few areas like this.

[Jackie Ramo]

Yes, Marla, that is emerging sumi but sometimes it never emerges or sometimes the surface sumi disappears and the laten sumi comes up or not. Aren't fish fun???

[carcha koi]

Good Job Terri. Keep Them Coming. :)

[dcny]

Beautiful tile Jackie!

Sorry I don't have much to add cause Terri pretty much covered everything I thought of.

-Dan

[Jackie Ramo]

Thanks Dan, I expect to see it hanging at Terri's house next time I visit. It needs out of the closet :lol:

[Terri]

It's not in a closet, it's placed prominately on my dressing table in our bedroom where I greedily and selfishly have kept it for my personal viewing each morning I awake and each nite I retire :twisted: .... but you're right Jackie, I should give a little and share the piece ;-)

[Jackie Ramo]

Well as long as it is seeing the light of day.

[Ian]

It has a spot when I start remodeling the house. Downstairs bathroom will have a koi flavour in the tiled walls.
I need a few 4x4 koi tiles Jackie ....so I'll be talking to ya :grin:

[Jackie Ramo]

4" x 4" isn't very big for a koi :frisbee: more like guppies

[Peg]

Better late then never so they say! Here is a pic of Spot hope I got this one right, I believe he is a Tancho Showa. Not very good pics. She's shy. You might see the first photo alot its the only really good shot of all five of them :lol:

[dcny]

Better late then never so they say! Here is a pic of Spot hope I got this one right, I believe he is a Tancho Showa. Not very good pics. She's shy. You might see the first photo alot its the only really good shot of all five of them :lol:
It may be a tancho sanke as well.

-Dan

[dcny]

Here's a couple of progress pictures of a showa so you can see the changes. The first picture is take at 3 years old and 64cm. The second is at 4 years old amd 72cm. You can see some dramatic changes in the sumi and the body.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/dcny/genki/ikeage06/64cm1TategoiMarudoresize.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/dcny/genki/ikeage06/Picture074.jpg

[Jackie Ramo]

Wow, nice fish!!! So now to test my window's understanding, the young fish had a window near the dorsal, on the sumi but it closed up.?

[Peg]

WOW I agree with Jackie, Nice looking fish. Can you tell me how Spot can be a Tancho Sanke as well as a showa???Not really sure how that works. Thx

[dcny]

It's hard to find a large gin rin koi this nice. This gal is about 29".

[Jackie Ramo]

What a beauty!!! Need a bigger tub next time :lol:

[flywheel]

Finally got a camera, here's my showas. I'm hoping the sumi on the gin rin keep coming up.
Ron

[Jackie Ramo]

I like the first one. Second one needs a lot of sumi to come up but with young fish its hard to tell.

[flywheel]

I agree Jackie, the first one I bought last summer at Kloubecs, about 8 inches long, the second is a Japanese import and was more or less a gift from a friend at about 20 inches. I actually thought it was a kohaku until we bagged it up and noticed the little bit of sumi on it, it seems more has come up since I got it, I don't think much more will show up. I will be content if what is there darkens up.

[Jackie Ramo]

Perhaps the black will disappear and you will have a nice kohaku. Nice shape and colour.

[dcny]

This showa went from 27cm to 48cm after a summer in the mud....

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/dcny/genki/ooyama/1127cmShowaDanC.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/dcny/genki/ooyama/48cmOoyamaTosaiTategoi2006No11.jpg

[Jackie Ramo]

Wow he looks fantastic. Where did he stay in the mud pond?

[Terri]

:grin: nice!

[dcny]

Wow he looks fantastic. Where did he stay in the mud pond?
The breeder is Ooyama. It stayed in their mud pond and was just harvested a week ago I think.

[Jackie Ramo]

So will it arrive home in timefor Christmas? or will it return to the mud?

[dcny]

So will it arrive home in timefor Christmas? or will it return to the mud?
If the breeder will let me keep it there, then that's where it'll stay.

[Jackie Ramo]

Show them the money!!

How long will you keep it in the mud? What happens if it reaches its prime in the mud and no one sees it :frisbee:

[NaturesCall]

You happened to pick on one of my favorite types of koi.

Breeding Showa's makes 3 types of koi...Showa's naturally, Shiro Utsuri's and Hi Utsuri's

When we consider showa's consider the mystery as they change through the years

I had a ginrin showa a little over a year ago...It Lost all of its Hi by the end of summer. Now it's a Ginrin Shiro. I'll post the transformation first, then some of my showa's.

[NaturesCall]

Next is momma and papa...I love how the sumi darken and get richer in color as the koi age. Notice how it appears to wrap around the koi? Momma is 19" and papa is 17 inches. momma's breeder is Isa, papa's breeder is Uonuma from Japan.

[NaturesCall]

These next 2 are our recent purchases. Both females the first is bred by Isa (12") and the second is bred by Dianichi (11").

[dcny]

Show them the money!!

How long will you keep it in the mud? What happens if it reaches its prime in the mud and no one sees it :frisbee:
I don't know if it's just about money. It all depends on what the breeder think of the fish. Growing out a nisai koi takes alot more mud pond space than a tosai so it's really gotta be worth the breeders limited mup pond space. It'll be up to them if it's worth it. I personally think it's got great potential but I'm a bit biased. If all goes perfectly, I'd love to keep it there for two more years.

These next 2 are our recent purchases. Both females the first is bred by Isa (12") and the second is bred by Dianichi (11").
Hard to go against Dainichi, but I like the Isa one better.

[NaturesCall]

Hard to go against Dainichi, but I like the Isa one better.

I'm with you on that. I can't wait to see what the future holds for these... :wink:

[Terri]

I like the Isa too. Look forward to updates on these two.

From Showa to Utsuri, not too bad, still a nice fish ;)

[Jackie Ramo]

I can't beleive the change in the showa to shiro!!! bet there were tears in the middle but its still a nice fish.

[Dewi]

Some really nice fish on here, please disregard my last post on the Kohaku thread................................. please. :roll: !rofl :confused: