[Goldfish Edo Tales] Night 7: The Sheltered Upbringing of the Jikin
Welcome everyone.I, Yuugyotei Junmyoraku, will tell amusing tales of goldfish and the people of Edo.
Night 7 is about the high - class "Jikin" that came from the province of Owari.Please enjoy the obsession of a retired man who was captivated by its beautiful tail fin that opens wide.
So then, let it begin, let it begin...
Night 7: "The Sheltered Upbringing of the Jikin"
Well, there is such a thing as "local pride" among goldfish.This "Jikin"(Peacock Tail Goldfish) is a rare goldfish that the Lord of Owari(Aichi Prefecture) had raised with great care as a secret treasure never to leave the domain.Viewed from above, its four tail fins open wide in an X shape, beautiful like a peacock spreading its feathers.
Now, here is the landlord of a row house, retired Tokubei.When he traveled to Owari in his youth, his soul was stolen by its beauty.He couldn't forget it even after returning to Edo, and finally used his connections to receive one Jikin.
"Listen, Jikin. You are different from Edo Wakin. That pure white body with red lips and fins, the 'Rokurin' (Six Scales) attire. You are truly a secluded young lady."
Tokubei let no one touch this Jikin and gazed at it enchantedly every day.However, a meddlesome old woman living next door peeked into the bowl and said something unnecessary.
"Oh my, landlord. This goldfish looks like its tail fin is stuck. Can't it swim smoothly like my crucian carp?"
Tokubei shouted back in anger. "What are you saying! This tail fin is the pride of Owari. Swimming elegantly and quietly is true dignity."
However, one day, the Jikin that Tokubei cherished was trembling its tail fin in the corner of the tank, looking somewhat restless. "What's wrong, Miss? Is Edo food not suitable, or is the water too cold..."
Then Gen - san, a craftsman who happened to pass by, looked into the bowl and said simply.
"Landlord, there's no dignity or anything. It's just that its own tail fin is too big and the rudder doesn't work, so it's in trouble. Look, it tries to go there but comes back here."
Tokubei fell to his knees in disappointment.
"What. I thought it was the pride of Owari (Jikin), but its own 'body weight (Ji)' was so heavy that it lost its 'way (Ji)' even in the fishbowl!"
[Junmyoraku's Afterword]
The beauty of the Jikin is a "structural beauty" protected by strict selection and tradition.Because of its complex tail fin, its swimming is somewhat clumsy.But that "helplessness" is the noble charm that makes you want to protect it.It's a beauty of restriction/constraint not found in free-spirited Edo Wakin. That is also the deep flavor of goldfish culture.
