10

SUNDAY

Traditional Japanese gardens are usually outfitted in gray, brown, and green: rocks, wood, and foliage. More vibrant colors can often be found, however, in the pond. That’s where nishigoi (“fancy koi”) swim (looking like supersized goldfish decorated by Peter Max). Actually, they’re decorative carp, an obsession of Japanese hobbyists. At today’s Japanese Koi Show, an annual competition sponsored by the Potomac chapter of Zen Nippon Airinkai, Japanese judge Tsuyoshi Tokutake will award prizes to fish raised by local koi fanciers. For local pond owners seeking a splash of color, vendors will be selling live koi, food, fish and pond equipment, and other koi-related products. The show begins at 9 a.m. at the U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Free. (202) 245-2726. (Mark Jenkins)