At the 2025 All England Koi Show our judging and training methods came under scrutiny from Yuko Shirako the former General Secretary of ZNA Japan who was attached to the team headed by Tony Sheffield through which she observed the judging processes from start to finish i.e. from GC selection through Round 1 through to Rounds 2 and 3.
Yuko’s CV is quite extensive. In her own words “Although I am not a certified koi judge, I have spent twenty-seven years serving for the ZNA headquarters, participating in twenty-five ZNA International Koi Shows and as many AJNPA All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Shows (Shinkokai’s Tokyo Koi Show) — not to mention countless training seminars. Over the years, I have also supported ZNA judges at koi shows and workshops in the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, the USA, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Through these experiences, I have cultivated a sense of appreciation for Nishikigoi.”
In a report she filed on ZNA’s website she made the following observation about our training method.
“The judging process itself differed little from what I had seen in Japan or elsewhere. Judges observed body shape and skin quality carefully, asking frequent questions to their trainees. Japanese judges (both hobbyists and dealers), in comparison, tend to be more reserved in their instruction, whereas the British and European approach felt refreshingly interactive.”
We’ve had compliments from Japan about our training documentation during the last year or two but this was the first time we have received an endorsement for the practical side which is by far the most important aspect. Especially from such an enlightened source.
Yuko seen here with Christine Woolger moonlighting on the World of Nishikigoi stand.
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