Filmmaker Dan Savage took this picture of a uniquely colored koi found in the ponds of Maruoka Castle, the second oldest standing castle in Japan.
Beyond the unusual blue color overall, the mottled burgundy and indigo effect from the more vividly colored scales on this carp’s back makes it even more attractive to me. I could be wrong, but I would guess this fish would be prized far more than a basic $500 nishikigoi specimen.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Geekazoid.
We used to have a nice koi pond, still do just sans fish. A couple eagles ate every fish in the pond over the course of a week last summer. It had previously been preyed upon by racoons and foxes. Seeing eagles in your backyard in the burbs is an exciting experience.
I would love to have a beautiful koi like that in my pond. But that would just be making a buffet for the wild life out here.
On the other hand, about 10–15 minutes' walk from the castle is perhaps the best ramen shop in Fukui prefecture, so that's cool, I guess.