Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri: Complete Guide

1. What are Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri?

Zen Nippon Airinkai defines the Utsurimono family as koi with Showa-type sumi on white, yellow or red skin. Within that family, Hi Utsuri carries the black pattern on a red or orange ground, while Ki Utsuri carries it on a yellow ground. The word utsuri conveys the idea of reflection or alternating pattern, which suits the classic visual effect: broad fields of black interlock with the coloured ground and often wrap down the flanks.

The important phrase is Showa-type sumi. Utsurimono black is not meant to appear merely as isolated dorsal spots. It can rise from below the lateral line, wrap around the body, occupy the head and create motoguro at the pectoral bases. That architecture is what gives the family its characteristic force. A koi that is red with small Sanke-like black spots should not automatically be called Hi Utsuri, and a yellow koi with sparse dorsal spots may fit Ki Bekko more closely than Ki Utsuri.

Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri are two-colour varieties. There should be no deliberate white third colour as part of the pattern. Small pale areas caused by stress, injury, immature pigment or skin condition need to be interpreted carefully, but true persistent white pattern changes the classification question. The practical lesson is to identify the colour system before judging the beauty of the pattern.

2. Where they fit in the Utsurimono family

ZNA currently groups Utsurimono as one of its principal variety classes. Shiro Utsuri, Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri are therefore relatives judged under the same broad structural logic: Showa-type sumi, strong contrast and a pattern that can use the full three-dimensional body rather than only the dorsal surface. ZNA also lists Utsurimono within Group 1 of its published variety framework, and provides a separate male Utsurimono category for larger males in its show structure.

Historically, Ki Utsuri is an old and important colour form in Nishikigoi development. ZNA history material notes that superior Ki Utsuri were already being produced around the beginning of the Meiji era. Modern populations, however, are not equally common. Shiro Utsuri has received intense specialist breeding and is often seen at high levels; Hi Utsuri remains familiar but less dominant; genuinely refined Ki Utsuri can be comparatively difficult to find. Rarity alone does not make a fish high quality, but it affects the buying market and the amount of selection experience many hobbyists have with the variety.

3. Hi Utsuri versus Ki Utsuri at a glance

4. Start with conformation, not colour

Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri are visually dramatic, which makes them easy to buy for pattern first. That is a mistake. A strong red-black or yellow-black pattern cannot rescue a narrow head, weak shoulder, crooked body line, thin tail tube or poor swimming posture. As the koi grows, structural weaknesses usually become more obvious, while a sound frame gives the pattern a larger and more convincing canvas.

Assess the koi from above. The head should be proportional and symmetrical, with adequate width through the cheeks and shoulder. The body should flow without abrupt pinching, and the peduncle should have enough substance for the fishs age and sex. The pectoral fins should be balanced and undamaged. Avoid confusing a temporarily full belly with a strong frame, especially in tosai. Structure is about skeletal and muscular potential, not merely current body fat.

5. Hi Utsuri ground colour: judging red and orange

The coloured ground in Hi Utsuri is usually described as hi, but the actual visual range can extend from red through strong orange-red. The goal is not simply the darkest possible red. More important is quality: the colour should appear even, healthy, saturated and integrated into good skin. Thin, patchy or brownish areas weaken the whole fish because every sumi plate is viewed against that background.

Look for consistency between the head, shoulder, flanks and rear body. Young koi can show age-related differences in colour depth, and photographs can exaggerate warmth, so one image should never be treated as absolute evidence. The breeder line, age, sex, diet, season, transport status and lighting conditions all influence how the colour is perceived. Current colour must therefore be separated from claims about future colour.

Carotenoids are biologically relevant to red and yellow pigmentation in koi. Published feeding studies have shown that dietary pigment sources can change measured redness, chroma and carotenoid deposition. This does not mean feed can manufacture high-quality genetic hi or correct a poor pattern. Nutrition can support expression; it cannot replace the inherited structure of the skin, pigment distribution and pattern. An aggressive colour diet can also make a young fish look temporarily impressive without improving body or long-term skin quality.

6. Ki Utsuri ground colour: what makes yellow convincing

A strong Ki Utsuri needs yellow that looks intentional rather than faded. Depending on lineage and age, the hue can range from warmer golden yellow to cleaner, lighter yellow. There is no single digital colour value that defines quality. What matters is evenness, clarity, skin luster and how effectively the yellow works with the black. A dull mustard tone combined with weak grey sumi tends to look muddy; a clean yellow with lacquer-like black can be striking even with a simple pattern.

Yellow is also vulnerable to camera interpretation. Warm lighting, automatic white balance and saturated phone processing can turn ordinary yellow into apparent gold. Ask for neutral video and compare the koi against a known bowl colour or other fish when buying remotely. If a dealer supplies several images, pay attention to whether the yellow remains consistent across them. Large colour swings may indicate lighting differences rather than biological change.

A 2024 study of koi under acute temperature fluctuations found that black and yellow skin in the tested fish changed less than white skin under the specific experimental temperature cycles, while broader seasonal research also demonstrated that koi colour is biologically plastic. These findings support a cautious conclusion: yellow can be relatively stable in some short-term conditions, but koi colour is still influenced by physiology, season and environment. Do not treat any colour as environmentally invulnerable.

7. Sumi quality: the black must have depth

In both Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri, sumi is the structural colour that gives the pattern authority. ZNA terminology distinguishes good, dense black from weaker forms such as brownish or soot-like sumi. Mature high-quality sumi should appear deep, thick and lustrous, with the sense that it belongs in the skin rather than sitting as a dusty film on top.

Young Utsurimono are more complicated. Some black is fully visible, some appears blue-grey or shadowy, and some may be submerged beneath the skin. Utsurimono are famous for late development; ZNA notes that the family may not settle until around four or five years of age. Therefore the darkest tosai is not automatically the best future adult, and the palest shadow is not automatically guaranteed future sumi. Selection is an exercise in probability, not prophecy.

Evaluate the quality of the black that is already present. Does it have density? Does it show luster? Are the edges becoming coherent? Does it contribute useful pattern mass, or is it mostly random speckling? Strong visible sumi provides evidence. Submerged sumi provides possibility. A disciplined buyer values those two categories differently.

8. Wrapping sumi: the three-dimensional signature

Classic Utsuri expression uses the whole body. Sumi may rise from the belly region, cross the lateral line and wrap around the back, producing alternating blocks of black and coloured ground. This gives Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri a different visual character from Bekko, in which black is generally more spot-like and positioned above the lateral line in the Sanke tradition.

Wrap should not be judged mechanically. A fish does not need identical black bands from left to right, and an attractive pattern can include irregularity. The question is whether the pattern feels structurally connected to the body. When the koi turns in the bowl, do the black areas continue convincingly down the flanks? Does the side view add depth to what appeared dorsally? Strong Utsuri often become more impressive in motion precisely because the pattern is not confined to the top surface.

9. Head pattern: expression without obsession

Head sumi has a major influence on Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri because it immediately establishes the Utsuri identity. Strong head pattern can create drama, but buyers often become trapped by one fashionable feature. Menware or hachiware-style divisions can be beautiful, yet they are not mandatory for quality. A koi with an average body and weak skin does not become excellent because a black line happens to split the head attractively.

Judge the head as part of the total composition. Is there enough coloured ground around the eyes and nose to keep the expression readable? Does the head pattern connect naturally to the shoulder? Is one side overwhelmingly black while the rest of the fish lacks visual weight? A heavy head can work when the body pattern opens up. A lighter head can work when the shoulder and mid-body provide authority. Balance matters more than a named motif.

10. Motoguro: characteristic, useful, but not absolute

Motoguro is concentrated sumi at the base of the pectoral fins, and ZNA specifically associates it with Showa Sanshoku and Utsurimono. On Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri, clean motoguro can frame the front of the koi and reinforce the black pattern system. Ideally the black is purposeful and compact rather than a dirty wash spreading through the entire fin.

Young fish may not show their final pectoral pattern. Motoguro can tighten, change in proportion as the fins grow, or become more defined. Evaluate symmetry and quality, but avoid turning motoguro into a pass-fail test. Strong body, skin and overall pattern deserve more weight than tiny differences between the left and right pectoral bases, provided there is no injury or structural abnormality.

11. Pattern balance: how much black is enough?

There is no universal percentage of sumi that makes a Hi Utsuri or Ki Utsuri correct. Some outstanding fish carry broad black fields and appear powerful; others use more coloured ground and feel open and elegant. The real test is visual distribution. The head, shoulder, mid-body and rear third should communicate with one another rather than looking like separate design problems.

A useful way to evaluate balance is to mentally divide the fish into four zones: head, shoulder, mid-body and tail section. Then ask whether one zone is empty or overloaded relative to the others. Next consider the left-right interaction. Perfect symmetry is unnecessary and can look artificial, but a koi that is almost entirely black on one side and almost entirely coloured on the other may feel unstable unless the pattern has exceptional flow.

Finally consider growth. A tiny sumi island on a tosai may look important now but become insignificant on a 70 cm body. Conversely, a very heavy plate that dominates a small koi may become more proportionate as the frame expands. Pattern is not printed on a flat sheet; it rides on a growing three-dimensional animal.

12. Development: why patience matters in Utsurimono

The single most important developmental fact in this family is that sumi can remain unsettled for years. ZNA explicitly notes that Utsurimono sumi may not settle until about four or five years of age. During that period, black can rise, consolidate, darken, weaken in appearance, break into clearer edges or alter the apparent pattern balance as the body grows. The exact trajectory varies by bloodline and individual.

Ground colour changes too. Hi Utsuri may deepen or soften in hue; Ki Utsuri yellow can look different as skin thickens and environmental conditions change. Seasonal and temperature studies in koi show that skin colour is physiologically dynamic, not a fixed paint layer. Still, environment should not be used as an excuse for every defect. Genetics establish the raw potential, and husbandry can only work within that potential.

When a seller says that unfinished sumi will come up, ask what evidence supports the claim. Is the fish from a known line with a documented development pattern? Are there siblings showing similar progression? Is the underlying area coherent, or merely vague grey? Experienced prediction is valuable, but it remains a probability judgment. Price should reflect that uncertainty.

13. Selecting tosai Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri

Tosai can be exciting because the future pattern is still partly hidden. They are also the easiest stage at which imagination can outrun evidence. The best buying discipline is to rank attributes in the right order. Start with health and frame. Then look at skin and ground colour. Then judge the quality of visible sumi. Only after those foundations should you speculate about future pattern.

1. Confirm normal structure, swimming behaviour, mouth, spine and paired fins before discussing colour.

2. Look for a frame appropriate to the age - width through the head and shoulder, a stable dorsal line and a reasonable peduncle.

3. Judge the ground colour for evenness and skin luster. Hi Utsuri should not be patchy or dirty red; Ki Utsuri should not look muddy or washed out.

4. Examine the quality of visible black. A smaller amount of strong sumi is often more informative than a larger amount of grey speckling.

5. Use submerged sumi as supporting information rather than guaranteed future pattern.

6. Check the pectoral bases, but do not buy solely for motoguro.

7. Consider breeder, parent information and sibling development when available.

8. Price the koi as a tosai with uncertainty, not as the ideal adult you hope it might become.

14. Nisai and older fish: paying for information

By nisai, the body frame is easier to interpret and the pattern usually provides more evidence. This makes nisai an attractive compromise for serious buyers: the koi still has meaningful growth and developmental potential, but some of the most extreme tosai uncertainty has been reduced. Sumi that looked promising at one year can now be judged for actual density and placement, while ground colour can be evaluated on a more mature skin surface.

At sansai and beyond, current quality deserves increasing weight. It becomes less convincing to excuse thin sumi, dirty colour or weak conformation with indefinite promises about the future. Older Utsurimono can still change, but the buyer should expect the fish to demonstrate more of the qualities being paid for. Developmental potential is a bonus, not a substitute for present evidence.

15. Hi Utsuri versus Showa Sanshoku

The main identification rule is simple: Hi Utsuri is red/orange and black; Showa Sanshoku is red, black and white. Both can have head sumi, wrapping sumi and motoguro, so those features do not separate them. The presence of a genuine white pattern area does.

The difficulty arises when white is tiny, temporarily poor in quality, hidden by heavy pattern or difficult to read in photographs. A dark Showa with minimal visible shiroji can be mistaken for Hi Utsuri, especially in warm lighting. Inspect the koi carefully around the head, belly, fin bases and pattern edges. If true white skin is part of the design, the fish belongs to the Showa system rather than being a pure Hi Utsuri.

16. Ki Utsuri versus Ki Bekko

Ki Utsuri and Ki Bekko can both appear yellow and black, but their black pattern belongs to different traditions. Ki Utsuri should show Showa-type sumi with the possibility of head pattern, body wrap and motoguro. Ki Bekko follows the Bekko/Sanke pattern logic: black spots are generally more dorsal and do not create the same wrapping Utsuri architecture.

In modern koi, textbook boundaries can occasionally look less neat, so do not classify from one spot alone. Examine the entire black pattern. Does it rise from below the lateral line? Is there purposeful head sumi? Do the pectorals show motoguro rather than Sanke-like tejima? Does the pattern read as broad alternating masses or as discrete spots? The total system is more reliable than a single mark.

17. Relationship with Shiro Utsuri

Shiro Utsuri, Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri share the same core Utsurimono black architecture but use different ground colours. This makes Shiro Utsuri useful as a reference for judging sumi quality, motoguro, pattern wrap and body structure. However, the coloured ground changes the visual balance. Deep black can feel more severe against white, warmer against red and highly graphic against yellow.

The breeding emphasis and market selection also differ. Modern Shiro Utsuri has benefited from substantial refinement toward luminous white skin and clean black. Hi and Ki Utsuri should not be dismissed because they do not look like recoloured Shiro Utsuri. Their best expression is their own: strong coloured skin, high-contrast sumi and a pattern that suits the variety rather than mimicking another fish.

18. Traditional power versus modern refinement

Older-style Utsuri appreciation often emphasises heavy, imposing black and a bold checkerboard or banded effect. Modern buyers may prefer cleaner skin, more open space and sharper contrast. Neither direction is automatically superior. The important question is whether the fish has coherent quality. A heavily patterned Hi Utsuri with deep lacquer sumi and excellent body can be outstanding; so can a more open, refined example with room for the red to breathe.

Ki Utsuri raises the same issue. Some fish have a rustic, old-school charm with broad black fields and warm yellow. Others are selected for cleaner yellow and sharper edges. Buyers should distinguish personal taste from objective weaknesses. Choosing a traditional pattern is preference; accepting weak skin, brownish sumi or poor conformation is compromise.

19. Edge quality and finishing

When sumi is finished, the border between black and the coloured ground should look deliberate. Ragged edges, scattered jami and thin grey bleed reduce refinement. Yet very young Utsurimono are not always finished, and judging a tosai by adult edge sharpness can lead buyers toward prematurely finished fish with less developmental upside.

The practical solution is to judge edge quality in context. On an older show-ready fish, demand cleaner finish. On a young developmental fish, give more weight to the quality and coherence of the pigment system. A koi can be unfinished but promising; it should not be unhealthy, structurally weak or supported only by vague hope.

20. Doitsu Hi Utsuri and Doitsu Ki Utsuri

Doitsu versions lack the normal full covering of scales, so the red or yellow ground and black pattern appear smoother and more graphic. This can make colour boundaries look dramatic and can expose skin defects more clearly. The same fundamentals apply: conformation, skin health, ground colour, sumi quality, balance and fin condition.

Scale arrangement matters in Doitsu koi. Irregular or unattractive mirror-scale lines can distract from an otherwise strong pattern. Because Doitsu skin has a different visual texture from scaled skin, compare like with like. Do not penalise it for lacking the layered look of scaled pigment, but do insist on clean skin and a coherent scale presentation where scales are present.

21. Ginrin Hi Utsuri and Ginrin Ki Utsuri

Ginrin adds reflective scales that can create exceptional sparkle against black and warm ground colour. It also creates an extra quality criterion. A Ginrin fish must still be a good Utsuri first; reflective scales cannot compensate for weak body, muddy colour or disorganised sumi.

Look for reasonably consistent reflective scale rows that enhance rather than fragment the pattern. Under some show systems, Ginrin Utsurimono may be entered in a Ginrin class instead of ordinary Utsurimono, depending on the rules. ZNA publishes separate Kinginrin categories, so exhibitors should confirm the current event instructions rather than assuming the class from the sellers label.

22. Metallic relatives are not ordinary Utsurimono

Metallic black-and-yellow or black-and-red relatives belong to the Hikari Utsurimono family rather than ordinary non-metallic Utsurimono. ZNA lists metallic Utsuri derivatives such as Kin Ki Utsuri in Hikari Utsurimono. Metallic luster changes both appearance and judging priorities, so a bright metallic fish should not be evaluated as if it were simply a shinier Ki Utsuri.

This distinction is particularly important in online listings, where trade names are sometimes used loosely. Ask whether the skin is metallic, whether the koi is scaled or Doitsu, and how the breeder or show system classifies it. Accurate naming matters because it tells you which qualities should dominate the evaluation.

23. Show judging: what matters in the ring

Show systems differ, but the fundamental hierarchy remains sensible: the koi must first be healthy and structurally convincing, then demonstrate skin and colour quality, pattern balance and finish appropriate to its age and class. A dramatic pattern on a weak body is not enough. Likewise, perfect motoguro does not outweigh poor sumi or poor ground colour.

ZNA currently places Utsurimono in its published variety structure and judges entries by their actual appearance. Its current classification material also provides a specific male Utsurimono category for larger male koi. Exact class names, size divisions and award structures can vary by event, so exhibitors should always check the show schedule and benching rules in force for that competition.

For Hi Utsuri, judges will see immediately whether the red/orange ground looks even and finished enough to support the black. For Ki Utsuri, clean yellow and strong contrast are central. In both cases, the best presentation is a koi whose body and skin make the pattern look inevitable rather than merely decorative.

24. Assessing Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri from photos and videos

Remote buying is risky because these two varieties are highly sensitive to white balance and contrast processing. A phone can push orange toward red, yellow toward gold, and grey-black toward dense jet black. Blue bowls can also alter the perceived warmth of the fish. Treat photographs as evidence, not reality itself.

• Ask for a top-down video in neutral, even lighting whenever possible.
• Compare still photographs with video and, ideally, more than one lighting condition.
• Look at the body line and swimming behaviour before zooming into pattern.
• Inspect the pectoral bases for motoguro and fin damage.
• On Hi Utsuri, compare head colour with body colour for evenness.
• On Ki Utsuri, watch for artificial saturation that makes yellow look metallic gold.
• Treat grey or blue-black areas as developmental information, not guaranteed future sumi.
• Ask for breeder, age, current length, sex estimate and date of the media.
• If the fish has just arrived from transport, allow for temporary stress-related appearance changes.

25. Common buying mistakes

26. Malaysia and other warm-climate considerations

Malaysia creates a different annual environment from the cool seasonal cycle associated with Niigata. Water can remain warm for long periods, feeding seasons may be extended, sunlight can be intense, and dissolved oxygen can fall more quickly when temperature and organic load rise. These conditions affect growth management and can influence how skin and colour present through the year.

The scientific literature supports a cautious view of colour management. Temperature-fluctuation and seasonal studies in koi show that pigmentation and related metabolites can change with environment. A 2024 acute-temperature study reported relatively small changes in black and yellow skin under the specific tested fluctuations compared with white skin, while another 2024 study documented seasonal changes across multiple koi colours. These are controlled research findings, not a formula for predicting one pond fish, but they reinforce the importance of stability.

For Hi Utsuri, prolonged heavy growth feeding and strong pigment supplementation can deepen apparent colour while other quality dimensions lag behind. For Ki Utsuri, chasing an artificially intense golden look can distort buying judgment. In a tropical system, stable water, strong oxygenation, moderate stocking, good nutrition and consistent photographic conditions are more useful than trying to force colour rapidly.

27. Husbandry priorities for preserving quality

• Maintain non-detectable ammonia and nitrite and keep nitrate within a level appropriate to the pond and water-change strategy.
• Provide high dissolved oxygen, especially during warm weather, heavy feeding and overnight periods.
• Avoid sudden temperature, pH and salinity changes unless a specific treatment requires them and the change is carefully managed.
• Use a nutritionally complete koi diet. Colour ingredients can support pigment expression, but more is not automatically better.
• Control stocking density so chronic stress and dissolved organic load do not undermine skin quality.
• Protect the pond from excessive direct sun where practical while still maintaining a stable natural light cycle.
• Quarantine new koi and maintain biosecurity. Disease, parasites and repeated handling damage finish far more than minor cosmetic optimisation can repair.
• Photograph the koi periodically under similar light, bowl and camera settings to track real development instead of relying on memory.

Published pigment-feeding studies show that carotenoid-rich ingredients can alter measured colour in koi. That is useful evidence that diet matters, but it should not be converted into the simplistic rule that stronger colour feed always produces better koi. Excess emphasis on pigmentation can distract from growth, digestive tolerance, body condition, water quality and the natural appearance of the skin. The goal is balanced husbandry, not cosmetic overcorrection.

28. A practical evaluation sequence

1. Health: confirm normal behaviour, respiration, skin condition and absence of obvious injury or disease.

2. Conformation: assess head, shoulders, body line, volume, peduncle and fin symmetry.

3. Ground skin: on Hi Utsuri judge red/orange evenness and luster; on Ki Utsuri judge yellow clarity and evenness.

4. Sumi quality: look for density, depth, luster and evidence that black is structurally strong.

5. Pattern architecture: evaluate head, shoulder, mid-body and rear balance as a complete composition.

6. Wrap: observe whether black continues convincingly down the flanks and uses the three-dimensional body.

7. Pectorals: evaluate motoguro, fin condition and symmetry.

8. Development: separate finished visible pigment from submerged or uncertain future pigment.

9. Identity: confirm Hi Utsuri versus Showa and Ki Utsuri versus Ki Bekko before applying variety-specific expectations.

10. Value: decide whether the price matches current quality, lineage information and developmental uncertainty.

29. Myths and oversimplifications

30. Frequently asked questions

Is Hi Utsuri just a Showa without white?

Visually the relationship is close because both use Showa-type sumi, but Hi Utsuri is a recognised Utsurimono variety with a two-colour red/orange-and-black system. A koi with genuine white pattern belongs to the Showa system.

Why is Ki Utsuri harder to find?

Breeding focus and market demand have not produced the same volume of refined Ki Utsuri as some more popular varieties. High-grade examples therefore appear less frequently, but scarcity should never replace quality assessment.

Can sumi still come up after nisai?

Yes. ZNA notes that Utsurimono sumi may not settle until around four or five years of age. Individual timing varies by bloodline and fish.

Should I choose heavy black or more open colour?

Either can work. Choose the pattern that remains balanced across the whole body and suits the fishs frame. There is no mandatory black percentage.

What is the easiest way to separate Ki Utsuri from Ki Bekko?

Look at the black pattern system: Ki Utsuri should show Showa-type head involvement, wrap and potentially motoguro; Ki Bekko is more spot-oriented in the Sanke/Bekko tradition.

Does Hi Utsuri need motoguro?

Motoguro is characteristic of Utsurimono and helps reinforce the pattern, but overall quality should not be reduced to one pectoral feature.

Can colour food make a poor Hi Utsuri good?

No. Pigment-rich diets can change measured colour saturation, but they cannot repair poor conformation, weak skin structure, badly distributed pattern or inferior genetic potential.

Is yellow more stable than red?

Different pigments respond differently to diet, physiology and environment. Some experiments found yellow relatively stable under specific acute temperature fluctuations, but that should not be generalized into a guarantee for every koi or pond.

Are Doitsu Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri judged the same way?

The same fundamentals apply, but Doitsu skin and scale arrangement create a different visual texture. Show classification can also vary by organisation, so check the event rules.

Which is better for a beginner, Hi Utsuri or Ki Utsuri?

Neither is inherently easier if the goal is long-term quality. Hi Utsuri may be easier to find in the market; Ki Utsuri can teach careful colour and classification judgment. Buy the better individual rather than the rarer name.

31. Final perspective

Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri reward buyers who can separate spectacle from substance. The immediate attraction is obvious: red and black can be fiery and imposing, while yellow and black can be graphic and unusual. The better question is what remains after the first visual impact. Is the body strong? Is the coloured ground clean and even? Is the sumi truly good, or merely abundant? Does the pattern use the whole body? Is the fish healthy? Are future claims supported by bloodline and actual evidence?

The strongest purchases are rarely the fish with the most dramatic sales photograph. They are the koi that remain convincing when viewed in neutral light, in motion, from both sides, and with the pattern mentally removed from the equation. When conformation, skin, ground colour, sumi and pattern all support one another, Hi Utsuri and Ki Utsuri can be among the most memorable two-colour koi in a collection.