National Koi Show 2022 returns to San Jose — with outdoor fish viewing

They’re colorful and coy, er, koi.

The nation’s top hobbyists will bring their most spectacular fish — up to 3 feet long — to South San Jose to compete this weekend, April 2-3, in the ZNA NorCal National Koi Show.

And the public’s invited to come and gaze at 32 tanks’ worth of koi contestants, learn about the hobby of keeping koi and see the judges in action. Admission is free

The ZNA (Zen Nippon Arankai) outdoor show has been held annually in San Jose for a number of years. The event returned in 2021 after being forced to take 2020 off because of COVID restrictions that limited travel by participants, according to event organizer Dinh Nguyen.

“The primary purpose of the ZNA NorCal koi show is to advance koi education, from how to begin in the hobby to offering the latest information about koi keeping and improvement,” said Nguyen, who added that there is an emphasis on appreciation for the “living art” of koi, or nishikigoi in Japanese.

The fish will be competing in several koi classifications for color and scalation patterns.

Besides the koi competition and related exhibits, the weekend event will feature Tuan Vo, a calligraphy master, and members of the California Calligraphy Association doing calligraphy to raise funds for ZNA NorCal scholarships for students around the world.

Details: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Wyndham Garden Silicon Valley Hotel, 399 Silicon Valley Blvd., San Jose. http://znanorcal.info