ly])c as li) liave' hccn nalixcs. At any late, tliere is im e\ idt-nce of tlic existence of tlie brilliant, 

 culli\ate(l llsli prior to llieir ini])i irtation from China. 



The iii^iiiry ni the nitroihiction is lost in obsfurity, but it appears to be established tiiat as 

 early as the year 1500 some goldfish, [irobably of the simplest variety, were brought from China 

 to a town near Osaka: and many other importations were doubtless made in earlv times from China 

 and Korea, where the cultivation of this fish must ha\-e begun at a \'cr\- remote period. 



The cultuatiim of goldfish in japan began several centuries ago. and had attained considerable 

 extent long before the founding of the United States as a nation. It seems that as earlv as the 

 first decade of the eighteenth centuiy. a breeder of goldfish began business at Korivama : and the 

 author has visited at that ])lace a goldfish farm that was started about 1763 and lias been in 

 continuous o])eration to the present time. '{"his estal)lislinieut was at first maintained onlv for 

 ])leasure. but later became a commercial enter])rise and has for many years been conducted at great 

 ])rofit. 



The intioduced \ariety of goldfish like \ari;ius other things that the Japanese obtained from 

 out.side their country, was vastly im])ro\ed upon as a result of independent methods of culture 

 ap])hed at a very early date: and new varieties were soon developed that are still being cultivated. 



Centers of the Industry 



Coldfisb are lired for pleasure or ]irofit all over the Ja])anese Empire, and it is onlv in the most 

 northern island. J lakkaido. where the cold i^ intense, that successful culture is impossible. 



The chief centers of the industry are the great capit.al city of Tokyo which, with its two 

 million pc-ople. offers a superior market for all kinds of goldfish in addition to having a temperate 



