Lead
Hi, I’m Pomarano.
Ever wanted to launch a carp as far as you could?
……No?
Yeah. Fair. Most people haven’t.
But if you live in Saku City, you’re overwhelmed by carp at least once a year — koinobori streamers, the local brand Saku carp (佐久鯉), and the Saku Koi Festival on Children’s Day. When the whole town goes carp mode, somewhere deep down you might feel an urge to “see how far one would fly” (I won’t insist).
To serve that (possibly nonexistent) need, I built a slightly silly app called Koi Love 5 (鯉恋5) — launch carp into the distance — and published it on the App Store and Google Play.
This post alternates between serious facts about carp in Saku and a completely unserious app.
- Japanese version: 鯉を遠くに飛ばしたくなったこと、ありますよね？
What is Koi Love 5?
Koi Love 5 is a casual game set in Saku City where you launch carp as far as possible.
- Goal — fly them as far as you can
- Rankings — records are shown, so you can aim to become Carp King (鯉王)
- Price — free (with ads)
- Platforms — iOS / Android
As the store listing says: a game set in Saku where you launch carp.
It is not food. It is not a cooking app for the branded Saku carp. You’re safe.
Download
| Store | Link |
|---|---|
| App Store (iOS) | Koi Love 5 / 鯉恋5 |
| Google Play (Android) | Koi Love 5 / 鯉恋5 |
Carp in Saku City — the serious part
From here on, nothing to do with the app — just why Saku is famous for carp.
What is Saku carp (佐久鯉)?
Saku carp is a branded edible carp farmed mainly around Saku City, Nagano Prefecture.
According to the Saku Aquaculture Fisheries Cooperative, farming goes back to the Edo period. Fish are raised 3–4 years in cold flowing ponds fed by the Chikuma River (千曲川) watershed.
| Item | Saku carp |
|---|---|
| Water | Chikuma River spring water and underground flow |
| Raising | Slower than typical carp farms (many regions ship at ~2 years) |
| Taste | Less muddy smell, firm flesh, moderate fat |
| Brand | Regional collective trademark 「佐久鯉」 registered in 2008 (JPO) |
In the early Showa era, production was number one in Japan. Records mention top prizes at carp fairs and deliveries to the Imperial Household and the Army.
Carp often get a “muddy” reputation — Saku carp is known for arai, a sashimi-style preparation.
How real carp is eaten
The Saku tourism guide lists classic dishes:
- Arai — sashimi-style; flesh chilled in cold water
- Koi-koku — round-cut carp stewed in miso
- Uma-ni — simmered with soy sauce and sugar
- Salt-grilled
At the Saku Koi Festival, limited koi-koku servings are sometimes offered.
These are not launch recipes.
Saku Koi Festival
Every May 5 (Children’s Day), Saku holds the Saku Koi Festival.
- Venue — Chikuma River Sports Exchange Plaza (Naruse, Saku)
- Theme — local Saku carp plus koinobori for children’s health and growth
- Highlights — newborn health prayers, crying sumo, Saku carp taiko, local product booths
Some years feature giant koinobori — impressive in the wind, as festival write-ups often say.
By this point you feel respect for carp.
Keep any launching urge inside the game.
Why a “launch” app?
Back to the silly part.
As an engineer living in Saku, I like local material.
I previously wrote Can You Grow Coffee in Saku City? on this blog. This time it’s play, not research.
Saku = carp is strong local branding.
For a carp-themed game that couldn’t happen in real life, I went with:
- Setting: Saku
- Theme: carp
- Action: launch far
- Competition: distance and the title Carp King
……decidedly not serious.
I personally enjoy the temperature gap between “Saku carp takes 3 years to raise” and “in the app you fling one skyward in a second.”
How it plays (roughly)
Details are in the stores and in-app. Short version:
- Launch the carp (controls in-app)
- Distance is recorded
- Rankings let you compare with other players (?)
- Push your record and aim for Carp King
Whether the physics are realistic — unverified.
Unrelated to Saku carp aquaculture data.
Closing — real carp vs. game carp
In one table:
| Tone | Content |
|---|---|
| Serious | Saku is home to Saku carp, Chikuma water, long farming, regional brand, Saku Koi Festival |
| Silly | In that town I made Koi Love 5, an app to launch carp |
Real Saku carp should be eaten with care.
In a game only, I choose to believe launching is allowed.
Ever wanted to launch a carp into the distance?
If not yet — this app is your first chance.
Summary
- Saku City is strongly associated with Saku carp and the Saku Koi Festival
- I released Koi Love 5 — launch carp as far as you can (iOS / Android, free)
- Rankings included. Aim for Carp King
- Eat real Saku carp properly. Launch only in the game
Download (again)
- iOS: App Store — Koi Love 5
- Android: Google Play — Koi Love 5
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