Jumbo Momotaro bloodline by Daisuke Maeda: Kamuy bloodline sets new growth standard
Every koi enthusiast knows the feeling of wonder when a koi grows into a true Jumbo in just a few years. Seeing a nisai (two-year-old koi) of 55 to 60 cm is already a spectacular achievement. But now there is news that turns the koi world upside down: Daisuke Maeda, the mastermind behind Momotaro Koi Farm, announces that koi of 70-75 cm at the age of two need no longer be the exception.
And this is not just a rumor or an urban legend. This is an official announcement from one of the most respected breeders in Japan, someone who knows what he is talking about and whose results are recognized worldwide.
Momotaro Koi Farm: pioneers in extreme growth
Momotaro Koi Farm has long been known for groundbreaking growth results. It was this farm that was the first to succeed in growing Gosanke koi over the magical one-meter limit. The Mako bloodline revolutionized Showa development and, before the Kamuy bloodline, was the greatest breakthrough in koi growth. Daisuke Maeda of Momotaro Koi Farm started an ambitious experiment in 2004 to improve Showa, because this variety often could not compete with the body length and of Kohaku and Sanke. By crossing a Mako bloodline Kohaku – sourced from a Matsunosuke Magoi Sanke line and known for its exceptional growth potential – with one of the best Showa males, the foundation was laid for a Showa with the bodylines and vigor of Kohaku and Sanke, combined with deeper, more dynamic sumi.
The challenges of jumbo
The process had many challenges, including disappointing sumi in early generations, but through patient selection and testing in the mud ponds, Maeda eventually saw the potential. In 2008, the first successful Mako-Showa parents were selected, leading to a Showa line with improved physique, faster growth and a more powerful sumi pattern. The Mako bloodline was soon integrated into virtually all major Japanese bloodlines and became a foundation for contemporary Showa development worldwide. Now Maeda seems to have forced another breakthrough with the Kamuy bloodline.
Bentley, Giant Kwan, Ryujin en Aiegeiou
Momotaro Koi Farm achieved a milestone in 2006 when the Kohaku “Bentley” reached a length of 97 cm at age 9 and won the 42nd ZNA Show. After this achievement, their Kohaku began to exceed the one-meter mark. In the following years, several of Momotaro’s Gosanke grew to lengths close to 110 cm. At the 51st Koi Show, “Giant Kwan” Kohaku and “Ryujin” Taisho Sanshoku both reached 107 cm, while “Aigeiou” Showa Sanshoku measured 108 cm.
These achievements highlight Momotaro Koi Farm‘s dedication to breeding jumbo koi with exceptional physique and quality.
A decade of testing, failing and succeeding
That a koi grows large is not just a matter of water quality and nutrition. It must be genetically present in the fish, or it simply cannot come out. And there lies the crux of Maeda’s groundbreaking work with the Kamuy bloodline.
The road to this revolutionary Jumbo Momotaro bloodline took nearly a decade and was filled with experimentation, again several failures and immense patience. Genetics is not an exact science, but a craft in which selection, crossbreeding and long waits are the rule.
“Some nisai from the Kamuy bloodline are already 75 cm, and they are far from mature!”
Maeda’s formula for success? An advanced cross between Jumbo Karashi, Ochiba and Muji. This resulted in a new Gosanke bloodline that shows unparalleled growth potential.
Wat betekent dit voor de koi-hobby?
Growing up Jumbo koi has always been a point of much debate. How far can you go? When does big become too big? The Kamuy bloodline raises interesting questions:
- Can a koi sustain this rate of growth in a healthy manner?
- What does this mean for life expectancy and body structure?
- Are there disadvantages to this extreme growth?
The fact that Maeda himself continues to experiment further with crosses with Gosanke and Ginrin Magoi bloodlines shows that even he does not yet know the final limits of this new generation of Jumbo koi.
A glimpse of the future – and a little excitement
De ontdekking van de Kamuy bloedlijn voelt bijna als een sprong in de toekomst. Wat als over vijf jaar de 80 cm-nisai de norm wordt? What if the koi hobby adapts to a world where koi reach sizes within three years that previously took us 10 years?
This is as exciting as it is impressive. Because while koi enthusiasts around the world are excited about these new developments, there also remain concerns about the impact on fish welfare.
Large koi have been a status symbol in the hobby for decades. The search for the perfect Jumbo has become a holy grail for many breeders and hobbyists. Daisuke Maeda’s success with the Kamuy bloodline evokes memories of iconic growth achievements of the past, such as the first Showa to break the 100 cm mark. But as we gaze in wonder at this new growth standard, the question remains: Is there a limit? And if there is, who will reach it first? Or have we already reached it, but not yet uncovered it.
Looking ahead: what does Kamuy mean for the future?
With the introduction of the Kamuy bloodline, the boundaries of what is possible in koi breeding are shifting. But while we marvel at this phenomenal growth leap, we cannot ignore the fact that questions also arise. How does this genetic breakthrough affect the koi hobby in the long run? What does this extreme growth mean for fish health? And how do breeders and buyers react to a world where 70-75 cm at a young age is no longer unique?
In the coming weeks, we will dive deeper into the impact of this development. We examine not only the biological and genetic side, but also the hidden price of rapid growth, the ethical implications, the shifts in the koi market and the economic consequences.
One thing is certain: Momotaro has once again raised the bar, but how high can it go?
sources: KoiQuestion, Momotaro, rinkoonline.com,
