How to Select Young Showa Koi
- Tri-Star Koi
- Aug 25
- 5 min read
By Tri-Star Koi
Selecting a young Showa is one of the most exciting and challenging decisions in koi keeping. Unlike Kohaku, where much of what you see is what you get, Showa are full of mystery. Their true beauty often takes years to fully reveal itself.
Showa (or Showa Sanshoku) are a three-color variety: black (sumi), red (hi), and white (shiroji). But in young fish, those colors are often immature, unbalanced, or even hidden. The best Showa keep you guessing. But experienced collectors know what signs to look for early structure, quality, and, most of all, potential.
At Tri-Star Koi, we’ve visited top breeders like Isa, Sekiguchi, Takigawa, Marujyu, Maruyama, and Omosako to select young Showa with futures worth investing in. In this guide, we’ll share what we’ve learned about choosing tosai (under 1 year old) and nisai (1–2 years old) that will grow into powerful, well-balanced adults.
Understanding Young Showa: What Makes Them Different?
Young Showa rarely show their full potential up front. Sumi may still be hiding under the skin, the pattern may look chaotic or incomplete, and the color may lack the depth of older koi.
But this is normal. Showa are late developers, and many of the best adults started out looking average or even mess at a young age. The key is learning to read what the fish can become, not just what it is today.
The 6 Key Traits for Selecting Young Showa
1. Body Conformation – Start with the Frame
No matter how good the color or pattern might become, it won't matter if the fish doesn’t have the right body to support it.
Look for:
A strong, thick shoulder area not pinched or narrow.
A smooth taper from the head through the body to the tail.
Good balance and symmetry when viewed from above.
Proportional fins and no visible deformities.
A koi with excellent bone structure and a powerful frame will grow better, carry color more evenly, and maintain visual impact as it matures.
Tip: A slightly plainer Showa with strong conformation will often outshine a flashier one with a weak build in just a couple of years.
2. Skin Quality – The Foundation of Contrast
Showa are built on contrast, so clean, bright white (shiroji) and glossy, healthy skin are critical. Even if the pattern is incomplete, good skin gives you something to build on.
What to look for:
Milky, clean white skin not yellowed or dull.
A healthy sheen especially across the back and face.
No signs of scale damage, thinning, or irregular patches.
Guanine – an abundance along the shoulder and dorsal line indicates high-quality skin and a greater likelihood of maintaining that quality over time.
Keep in mind that the best young Showa often have shiroji that will brighten with age, especially if their genetics come from lines known for slow-developing skin quality.
3. Sumi (Black) – Read the Shadows
In young Showa, sumi can be deceptive. What appears as a faint gray or bluish area under the skin may develop into deep, jet-black patches in just a few months or a few years.
How to evaluate young sumi:
Sub-sumi: Look for deep shadows under the skin that follow the muscle structure. These often rise later as strong sumi.
Emerging sumi: If sumi is starting to surface, look at the edges. Are they solid and sharp, or weak and blurry?
Location: Ideally, sumi appears on both the head and body especially on the shoulder and at the base of the fins (motoguro).
Don’t dismiss a fish just because the sumi is missing or faint. If it’s from a strong bloodline, that’s often a sign of a koi that will improve dramatically with time.
4. Hi (Red) – Evenness and Stability First
Hi in young Showa should be thick, stable, and evenly distributed even if the pattern isn’t complete yet. Early-stage hi that’s light, patchy, or shows signs of fading usually gets worse with age.
Look for:
A strong, even color tone no pink or orange blotches.
A clean edge where hi meets shiroji (this will sharpen with age).
Not as desriable, hi over the eyes or mouth it tends to look awkward as the koi matures.
Some hi can expand with growth, so check that there’s enough white space for the pattern to evolve without becoming overwhelming.
Tip: Many of the best young Showa will have simple or even disconnected hi markings what's important is the quality, not the current pattern.
5. Pattern – Don’t Fall for Flash
In young Showa, pattern is the least reliable trait. It changes often drastically. Instead of looking for a “finished” appearance, focus on:
Balance, not symmetry — do the color blocks feel evenly distributed across the body?
Presence on the head — all three colors (black, red, white) should eventually be represented.
Room to grow — does the pattern give the koi space to stretch without losing proportion?
A Showa with a chaotic or incomplete pattern might be the most beautiful fish in your pond two years from now. Look for a pattern framework that has the potential to evolve — not perfection today.
6. Bloodline and Breeder – Your Most Reliable Clue
This is where Showa selection becomes an art informed by experience. A plain-looking tosai from a world-class breeder is often a better long-term investment than a flashy one from an unknown source.
Why bloodline matters:
Some lines develop sumi later than others.
Skin quality, body shape, and pattern longevity are all heritable traits.
Breeders refine their lines over generations to achieve predictability in development.
What to Avoid in Young Showa
Even if a young Showa looks exciting at first glance, some traits are red flags:
Flat or gray sumi that lacks depth unlikely to finish well.
Weak or uneven hi — especially if the red looks faded or spotted.
All-black or heavy sumi on the head — often overwhelms the face.
Lack of motoguro — a classic trait that often predicts good sumi development.
No sumi on the body — may indicate the koi is closer to Sanke.
Yellowed or dingy white — skin quality rarely improves from poor beginnings.
The Payoff of Patience
Showa are a long game. A fish that looks awkward or dull at 8–12 months can become stunning at 3 years or more if you choose correctly.
Development to expect:
Sumi will rise and harden, often dramatically.
Hi will deepen and tighten, especially with good water and nutrition.
Kiwa (edges) will sharpen, giving the pattern definition.
The pattern may shift or stretch with growth this is expected and often improves balance.
Give your Showa time, space, and excellent care and you’ll be rewarded with a fish that’s both dynamic and commanding.
Choosing a young Showa is about looking beyond surface-level beauty. You’re investing in potential, guided by structure, skin, and bloodline. Pattern is a bonus not a guarantee.
At Tri-Star Koi, we’ve built our Showa selection process on years of firsthand experience in growing and developing and a constant eye toward long-term development.
— Marlon @ Tri-Star Koi
