Scoop on National Goldfish Scooping Championship

Aug 24, 2026 | News On Japan

NARA - Around 1,500 competitors from across Japan gathered in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, for the National Goldfish Scooping Championship, testing their skills in three-minute contests to determine the country's best goldfish scoopers.

The event was launched to promote Yamatokoriyama as a "goldfish town," reflecting the city's status as one of Japan's leading centers for goldfish farming, and marked its 31st edition this year.

Competitors took part in individual and team events, attempting to scoop as many goldfish as possible within the three-minute time limit.

They used a traditional scooping tool known as a poi, which has a thin paper surface that can easily tear when placed in water. Success depends on catching the fish while keeping the paper intact.

Participants watched the darting goldfish with intense concentration as they tried to scoop them one after another before time ran out.

One competitor who caught 17 fish said, "They were very lively, so it was difficult."

Another participant said the team had planned to work together to corner the fish and catch them one at a time. "But the goldfish keep swimming away, so it's difficult," the participant said.

Top finishers received plaques and other prizes.

Source: ABCTVnews

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