The koi originally, common carp had been breed in China since the 5th century B.C.E. as food however the common carp was bred in 1820 by the Japanese in or around Ojiya in the Niigata prefecture (prefecture are governmental bodies larger than cities, towns, and villages) on the north eastern coast of Honshu island for color. By the 20th century several color patterns had been developed in particular most notably the red-and-white Kohaku.
