My friend Justin Ried just sent me the fascinating story of Hanako, a koi fish who apparently lived to be 226 years old. During the last decades of Hanako's life, her caretaker was Dr. Komei Koshihara, president of Nagoya Women's College. Koi Adventures has a translated transcript of a 1966 talk given by Koshihara about Hanako, who in 1977 went to the great koi pond in the sky. From Koi Adventures:
This "Hanako" is still in perfect condition and swimming about majestically in a quiet ravine decending Mt. Ontake in a short distance. She weighs 7.5 kilograms and is 70 centimeters in length. She and I are dearest friends. When I call her saying "Hanako! Hanako!" from the brink of the pond, she unhesitatingly comes swimming to my feet. If I lightly pat her on the head, she looks quite delighted. Sometimes I go so far as to take her out of the water and embrace her. At one time a person watching asked me whether I was performing a trick with the carp. Although a fish, she seems to feel that she is dearly loved, and it appears that there is some communication of feeling between us. At present my greatest pleasure is to go to my native place two or three times a month and keep company with "Hanako".
Story of Hanako (Koi Adventures)
