Photo/Illutration Visitors take photos of a telephone booth transformed into an aquarium for goldfish in Yamato-Koriyama, Nara Prefecture, in October 2014. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

In Japanese goldfish auction jargon, bidders use the following codes for numbers one through 10: Sen, Ri, Kawa, Tsuki, Cho, Ten, Ka, Tsu, Gan, Maru.

Now is the season when goldfish wholesale markets normally resound with these shouted codes.

Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the action is much more subdued this year even in the Aichi Prefecture city of Yatomi, one of the nation's top goldfish centers.

"This is the biggest blow we've ever experienced in our line of business," lamented Keizo Ito, 68, president of the Yatomi Goldfish Fishermen's Cooperative Association.

Following the cancellation of "hanami" cherry blossom viewing events this past spring, summer festivals and fireworks displays have also been called off, which in turn means the disappearance, around the nation, of the traditional game of "kingyo sukui" (goldfish scooping)--a much-beloved attraction at summer festivals.

Goldfish farming at Yatomi dates from the late Edo Period (1603-1867). Located downstream of the Kisogawa river, the region was always blessed with ideal water and soil for the industry.

After the development of aeration technology to enable long-distance transportation of goldfish, Yatomi emerged as a major goldfish cultivation center rivaling another giant at Yamatokoriyama in Nara Prefecture.

Haiku poet Yamaguchi Seishi (1901-1994), who visited Yatomi's expansive cultivation fields, penned this piece: "Human dwellings can be spotted amid goldfish cultivation fields."

The pandemic is impacting Yatomi seriously, but Ito is actually in high spirits.

He is planning a project to gift 1,000 people with fish tanks that come complete with goldfish.

"Now that people are spending a lot more time at home, the timing is perfect for expanding the nation's goldfish fan base," he explained.

In the cultural history of goldfish, Japan's love affair with the creature began in the late Muromachi Period (1336-1573), and spread among the masses during the Edo Period.

However, matters changed drastically in times of war, as well as in the immediate aftermath of major earthquakes. And just as goldfish were purged during the Cultural Revolution in China, goldfish are very much a symbol of a peaceful and prosperous society.

A poem by Taneda Santoka(1882-1940) goes to this effect: "The gleam of a goldfish being scooped at a festival stall at night."

I cannot wait for a summer when children can enjoy goldfish scooping without fear of catching COVID-19.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 18

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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