The Hi Utsuri is a black koi with a striking, bright red pattern across its body, head, and fins. It is another koi in the Utsurimono subvariety, often shortened to Utsuri, which includes three varieties of black koi, each with different color accents.
The Hi Utsuri was first bred in the late 1910s as a cross between a Ki Utsuri (a black koi with yellow pattern accents) and a Kohaku (a white koi with red patterns). This pairing is often used to breed Showa koi (black fish with red and white markings), which are among the most popular koi in the hobby and are always in high demand. One of the most common color patterns seen in these crossbreeds is a black fish with only red markings, a Showa koi with no white patterns. These fish are usually discarded as undesirable, but in this particular case, the breeder decided to keep, raise, and breed them in the hopes of creating a new variety.

So, over the next few years, farmers continued to breed these black and red koi and, in 1924, they were first brought to a koi show in Japan, which made people very interested in this new variety. Because of its resemblance to Ki Utsuri which was a new variety of koi (at the time), this red and black fish was named Hi Utsuri, a name that emphasized the strong difference and contrast between hi (red) and sumi (black).
In general, because of their similarities, Utsuri varieties are graded the same regardless of which type of Utsuri the fish actually is. First, the sumi and accent color, in this case, the hi, are graded. Each color should be a consistent, strong color throughout the koi’s body with no differences in hue or imperfections in the colors such as single scales of the other colors. The sumi should be a deep, jet black while the hi should be a bright, fiery red with the two colors providing clear contrast. Often, a brighter, more orange-red is acceptable in this variety as long as the hue is consistent. Between the 2 colors, the kiwa (edge) should be as sharp and clean as possible with a clear demarcation between the hi and sumi and no bleeding of color over the kiwa.
In Hi Utsuri koi the red and black are very important especially the position of the sumi pattern. As sumi is the base color of the koi, it should clearly extend past the lateral line of the fish and appear to ‘wrap around’ the body of the koi. Sumi should also be present on the head, ideally in a ‘V’ or lightning bolt shape that extends from the koi’s mouth to the top of the head called the menware pattern. Finally, the koi’s fins should have sumi at the base of the fins with hi at the tips of the fins in a pattern called motoguro. Of course, there are many guidelines for koi types and fish that meet each of these requirements are very rare and highly prized.
Of course, when judging a Hi Utsuri, or many other types of koi, you should consider which requirements you definitely want to perfect, and which ones you want to ignore. Many Pongoi Utsuri koi are close to perfect in some requirements, but fall short in others, making judging very subjective and a matter of personal preference.

Hi Utsuri is a truly stunning fish with the hi and sumi providing a dramatic contrast that will always draw the eye in any pond. While they may be the least numerous Utsuri variety, they are nevertheless a beautiful fish that is well worth your time considering.