BENKEI   was named after an ancient monk warrior, whose enormous size and great strength were legendary.  Like her namesake, Benkei was a behemoth among her peers and was among the first Sakai-bred Kohaku to exceed 90cm.

Benkei never fails to impress with her enormous size, exceptional conformation and superb skin quality. During the ZNA 36th All Japan Show (2000), Benkei easily stood out from the competition and was voted Grand Champion.

Benkei was purchased as a ni-sai by Murakami, which was later sold to the famous hobbyist, Nobuo Takigawa.  For the next 5 years, Murakami nurtured and groomed Benkei, until it was conferred All Japan GC at just 7 years of age and measuring 91cm.

To preserve her bloodline, Benkei was used as an oya koi on several occasions; once before her GC title and on two occasions thereafter. Sadly, complications arose on the third and last breeding, which saw the demise of Benkei shortly after.

Below is a video of Benkei having just returned from a victorious All Japan Show and a memorable footage of one of her breeding session: