all bounds in the home of Nishikigoi (brocaded carp) – in Japan. australian email database This is how the fairy tale story unfolded and became part of the Nishikigoi folklore. They are believed to originate from eastern Asia, in the Black, Caspian, Aral Seas, and China. The earliest written records of Koi were found in China. learn more about origin of koi fish History of koi fish Where did koi come from. It is widely accepted that common carp were transported from Eurasia to the Far East more than 2,000 years ago to Japan via China and Korea, Where they were bred as a source of food.
Carp are a very hardy breed of fish and could withstand the trauma of transportation by land and sea to far-off lands. There is evidence that the common carp, Cyprinus carpio finally made it to Japan about 1,000 years ago. But why were carp kept in captivity in those early years. It seems that Japanese farmers kept carp in mud ponds to supplement their daily diet of rice and vegetables. It is said they kept them in the paddy fields in which they grew their rice, but it seems more likely they were kept in the reservoir ponds above the paddy fields.