Page 48 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 5

THE BEST!

Johan Leurs joins Bernie Woollands to
attend the 2018 All Japan Nishikigoi
Koi Show and gives his opinion of the
Grand Champion contenders

It was not an easy time for me during the run up to the
49th edition of the All Japan Nishikigoi Koi Show, or as
its simply known ‘the Shinkokai’ show. My outstanding
magazine was not quite ready yet, a lot of work was still
waiting and then you suddenly also go down to an
emerging flu epidemic. So there was only one thing to
do, namely a visit to the doctor’s. The necessary pills
and atomisers were collected and of course a good
dose of antibiotics was added. Getting sicker was not
an option because heat cameras are installed at the
airports in Narita. If you have a severe fever at the
moment of entry, the alarm will immediately go off. They
Johan and Bernie meet, won’t let you enter the country and they send you
ready to travel to the straight to quarantine, waiting for a return flight home.
All Japan Nishikigoi
Koi Show. Unfortunately the speedy remedy did not work straight
away, and the outward flight was a tragedy. A little fever
in those narrow spaces and the very high cabin
temperature during the flight itself often made me gasp
for a little bit of oxygen. Fourteen-and-a-half hours of
misery. But suffering for our passion is nothing new.
Luckily everything got better the minute we arrived in
Tokyo and could contact Bernie Woollands. Bernie
would be our ‘partner in crime’ for the first days in
Tokyo and of course at the Ryutsu Center, the building
where the show would take place. You could say
‘A crime of passion’!
Of course, we both have a firm grip on that passion. On
Friday, the Koi would be judged, but if you arrive in
Tokyo on the Thursday, you also want to see all those
beautiful Koi as soon as possible. So once checked into
the hotel and a warm shower behind us, on to the
Grand Champion Kohaku
owned by Mr. Pan Zhi Cheng. Ryutsu Center.

49