The Kujaku
Having been introduced in 1960 by Toshio Hirasawa of Niigata, Japan, the Kujaku is the newest variety of the three koi. He is a mixture of three different varieties: the Shusui (also one of our spot-lighted varieties), the Matsuba (also called pinecone) and the Hariwake (a gold, metallic koi).
His matsuba pattern resembles the feathers of a peacock, that is how his name was picked by the Japanese. The basic color is metallic white with orange markings. Originally the Kujaku was bred as a doitsu (meaning scaleless or leather skinned) but it is rare now to find a good example of a doitsu Kujaku.
If you were going to show a Kujaku you would want to enter a fish who’s head is clean and void of any black (sumi). The matsuba pattern should be complete. The metallic white should be pure and the orange markings well defined. The confirmation (shape of the body) should be well-proportioned — not too fat and not too skinny — just as with any variety of koi.
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