Kawarimono (変わりもの (Kawarimono))
The open category — varieties that fit no other class, from Karasugoi blacks to Ochiba's autumn leaves.
Kawarimono: Varies by sub-variety: solid black (Karasugoi), brown-grey with netting (Ochiba Shigure), green-toned Midorigoi and many more.
| Pattern (JAS-aligned) | Varies by sub-variety: solid black (Karasugoi), brown-grey with netting (Ochiba Shigure), green-toned Midorigoi and many more. |
|---|---|
| Colours | Every colour outside the standard families can appear here. |
| How to tell it | If a fish is clearly nishikigoi but matches no other page in this hub, it likely belongs to Kawarimono — check its sub-variety name. |
The variety in Japanese koi culture
Kawarimono — literally the changed or unusual ones — is not a leftover bin but a recognised JAS grouping for established varieties outside the main families, and several of its members are stars in their own right. Karasugoi are crow-black fish prized for depth of colour; Ochiba Shigure layers brown over grey netting like autumn leaves on water, and is famously friendly at feeding time. This page maps the best-known sub-varieties and the words used for them, so an unfamiliar name at a show or facility becomes a starting point rather than a dead end.
Keeping notes on this page are limited to generally published principles about the variety in Japan. This page gives no diagnosis, no treatment and no prescription for an individual pond or fish. For a fish that looks unwell, contact a veterinarian or your local fisheries office.
Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA — summary in our own words, credit only); All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association official; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Finance Ministry trade statistics as published; Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) for nishikigoi variety names and definitions (2022); Niigata Prefecture, Ojiya City, Nagaoka City (Yamakoshi) and Nishikigoi no Sato official; Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) visitor statistics; USDA APHIS and Australian DAFF official import guidance. Checked 6 November 2026.