{"product_id":"red-headed-step-child-omosako-tancho-shiro-utsuri-grow-out-2026","title":"Red Headed Step Child — 2026 Omosako Tancho Shiro Utsuri Grow-Out Contest","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; margin: 0 0 24px 0;\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0319\/4961\/9245\/files\/red_copy.png?v=1780115147\" alt=\"Red Headed Step Child\" style=\"max-width: 320px; width: 100%; height: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne rare Tancho Shiro Utsuri. One year. One shot at glory.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003eMost Shiro Utsuri are sumi-on-white. Then there's the Red Headed Step Child — the rare Tancho variant, born with a single hi marking on the head, like a sun rising over the snow. These don't come up often. When they do, they don't last long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003eYou're buying into a group of \u003cstrong\u003e8 hand-selected Tancho Shiro Utsuri from Omosako Koi Farm\u003c\/strong\u003e in Kure, Hiroshima — a family-run breeding house with a global reputation for Shiro Utsuri. After purchase, you'll be randomly assigned one of the 8 koi in this category. We do the assignment after sales close so nobody can cherry-pick — every buyer gets a fair shot at every fish in the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll receive\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne Nisai (2-year-old) Tancho Shiro Utsuri\u003c\/strong\u003e, approximately 44–52 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFree overnight shipping\u003c\/strong\u003e to your door via Southwest Cargo (continental US)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEntry into the 2026 Omosako Grow-Out Contest\u003c\/strong\u003e — judged by the Omosako family themselves\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEligibility for the Best of Red Headed Step Child prize\u003c\/strong\u003e — your choice of 15kg or 20kg JPD koi food (floating or sinking)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEligibility for Grand Champion\u003c\/strong\u003e — JPD food \u003cstrong\u003eplus\u003c\/strong\u003e a JPD automatic feeder\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eA year of bragging rights, watching your fish develop, and being part of a tight community of growers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n \n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll do\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis isn't just a koi purchase. It's a year-long project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReceive your koi\u003c\/strong\u003e in late June 2026 and acclimate to your pond\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrow it out\u003c\/strong\u003e — feed it, watch it develop, photograph the journey\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubmit final photos \u0026amp; a short video\u003c\/strong\u003e by July 24, 2027\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFind out if you won\u003c\/strong\u003e — Omosako family judging, winners announced August 6, 2027\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n \n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Tancho Shiro Utsuri variant\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA true Tancho Shiro Utsuri carries a single round patch of red on the head, ideally centered between the eyes, with the rest of the body presenting classic Shiro Utsuri black sumi on white. The combination is uncommon — most Shiro Utsuri bloodlines don't produce hi at all — which makes these fish a collector's specialty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hi marking is finalized; the sumi pattern is what you're growing. Watch how it deepens and tightens over the next 13 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Omosako\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOmosako Koi Farm has been producing premium Shiro Utsuri since 1949 — three generations of breeders refining a single signature variety. Shawn (Mystic Koi \u0026amp; Water Gardens) has personally selected these fish from Omosako's Kure ponds. The lineage is documented and the relationship is decades deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \n\u003ch3\u003eShipping \u0026amp; arrival\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFree overnight Southwest Cargo shipping, continental US\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWe coordinate the delivery date with you after sales close (week of June 27, 2026)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eIATA-certified live animal packing\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLive arrival guarantee — see FAQ below for full terms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n ","brand":"Omosako","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47393103184021,"sku":null,"price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0319\/4961\/9245\/files\/IMG_2958.jpg?v=1780095351","url":"https:\/\/mystickoi.com\/products\/red-headed-step-child-omosako-tancho-shiro-utsuri-grow-out-2026","provider":"Mystic Koi \u0026 Water Gardens","version":"1.0","type":"link"}