Ginrin Chagoi – Takatatsu Koi Farm
Ginrin Chagoi is a Chagoi covered in reflective ginrin scales. At heart it is still the tea-colored koi known for being friendly and growing large.
About the Chagoi
Chagoi ('tea koi') is a solid tea-brown koi with a neat net of scales. It is famous for being friendly, large and the calm leader of a pond. It is judged in Kawarimono, the 'unusual' class of non-metallic koi that do not belong to any of the other groups. Chagoi descends from the original magoi lines and has been kept in Japan for well over a century. Chagoi and its relatives are known for being the friendliest koi in the pond. They are often the first to eat from a hand, and their calm lead tends to tame the rest of the group. They also grow large and fast.
Color and pattern
The body is a single shade, from light tea to deep copper, and each scale has a slightly lighter edge, building a fine net. The color is ideally even from head to tail, and the scales neat and regular.
Ginrin scales
Ginrin ('silver scales') koi carry reflective crystals in their scales, so the body sparkles as the fish moves. On white or black areas the sparkle shows as silver (gin), and on red or yellow as gold (kin), which is why Japanese shows judge these koi together in the Kinginrin class. Ginrin comes in several forms: beta-gin, where the whole scale shines flat; kado-gin, where only the edge sparkles; pearl or tsubu-gin, a raised, pearl-like center; and the newer, very intense 'diamond' ginrin. Good ginrin covers the body evenly in neat rows and holds as the fish grows.
In your collection
Kawarimono add variety and personality to a pond. Many of the solid-colored types (Chagoi, Soragoi, Karashigoi, Kigoi, Benigoi) are calm, people-friendly fish that grow large and help settle a group of more nervous koi. Because their colors are simple, judges look closely at body shape, skin and even color.
What collectors look for
- Even, rich color
- A neat, even scale net
- A thick, powerful body
- A clean, broad head
- Even sparkle across the body in neat, consistent rows
- Sparkle on the sumi as well as the white and colored areas
- Ginrin that does not hide the quality of the underlying colors
