2. Catholic Niigata ChurchNiigata The Catholic Church in Japan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. There are approximately 509,000 Catholics in Japan—just under 0.5% of the total population. There are 16 dioceses, including three archdioceses, with 1589 priests and 848 parishes in the country. The bishops of the dioceses form the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, the episcopal conference of the nation. The current Apostolic nuncio to Japan is Italian Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello. Archbishop Bottari de Castello is the Holy See's ambassador to Japan as well as its delegate to the local church. Christianity was introduced to Japan by Portuguese explorers and missionaries, particularly the Jesuits, such as the Spaniard St. Francis Xavier and the Italian... From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Nishikigoi (Japanese koi, brocade carps) , Tokyo 2018
THE KANTO KOSHIN-ETSU NISHIKIGOI CONTEST Dec. 8 and 9 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) in 2018 Ueno Park near the Fountain, Ueno, Taito-ku The Japanese people have long praised the koi (carp) as the king of river fish. There are tales in many parts of Japan in which old carp living in ponds or rivers are regarded as the masters of such waters. The fish grows to over 1 meter in length. It was an important food fish in old Japan.
The breeding of carp is believed to have developed in Edo days (1600-1867). The carp were sold not only as food but also as pets for their beauty.
Many new types of beautiful carp have been bred in Niigata and among them, Nishikigoi has become most famous. Some have red and white spots on a white body, or have red, black and white markings. (Source: