Camellia Koi Club
 presents

 
Toshio Sakai In Seminar
February 23rd & 24th, 2008 at The Sheraton in Pleasanton, CA

 

Mr. Toshio Sakai of the Isawa Nishikigoi Center, one of the most notable and highly regarded Nishikigoi breeders in Japan, came to the San Francisco Bay Area in February 2008 to present another 2 day seminar on Nishikigoi. The first day of the seminar featured lectures by Mr. Sakai followed by a banquet, and the second day of the seminar featured a judging competition for the participants.

The Camellia Koi Club held this educational event at the Sheraton Hotel in Pleasanton, California. They were able to present the event through the generosity of Peters & Sons Koi & Pond Supply, the event Sponsor and Grand Prize provider. All proceeds from this event benefitted the Camellia Koi Club, a non-profit organization.

Congratulations to the winner of the Grand Prize of the Judging Contest--Judy Linnebach won the 2 year old Jumbo Sanke hand picked by Mr. Sakai and valued at $3,000!  Thanks to PS Koi for their generous donation of this prize!

Friday: Seminar Set-up and sneak peek at fish when they arrived!

 

Saturday: Lecture

Saturday: Banquet

 

Sunday: Judging

 

Toshio Sakai was born in Mushigame of Yamakoshi Village in Niigata, Japan.  In 1974 the Matsunosuke Blood Line was created by the Sakai Family. After his apprenticeship of Koi breeding under his father, Toshio left Niigata for Isawa to become an independent Koi breeder. He founded Isawa Nishikikoi Center at age 18. He succeeded the first breeding of Matsunosuke Sanshoku in Isawa. The offspring of the original Matsunosuke Sanshoku have received numerous awards. Among many, Chiba Grand Championship, Saitama Grand Championship, Kanto Koshin-Chiku Grand Championship, and All Japan Nishikikoi Shinkou-Kai Kokugyo (national fish) awards and Grand Championship.

While developing solid award records, Matsunosuke Sanshoku siblings continued to spawn for over thirty-eight (38) years and continued to produce numerous award-winning champions of Matsunosuke Sanshoku. His Goshiki received the first place award for five consecutive years and its siblings produced the champion fish in Koromo, Budou-Koromo, and Kawarimono. His challenge continues to be the production of Koi with further improvement in size, quality, and long-lasting beauty. He has served as the director of All Japan Nishikikoi Shinkoukai.  After many years of development, Matsunosuke Koi became the All Japan Show Grand Champions in 1994, 1995, 1997, and 2002. Toshio Sakai went on to develop a Matsunosuke blood line for Showa that has become highly respected and shows great quality because of the stability of the Sumi (black color). His knowledge and expertise in the selection of Nishikigoi will be shared with the participants of the Camellia Koi Club event.

See pictures of Mr. Sakai's 2007 Seminar (benefitting ZNA NorCal) here.