The first to cultivate carp for appreciation were the Japanese, who received the fish as a gift from the Chinese court during the T'ang Dynasty (618--907).
日本原不產鯉魚，相傳盛唐時代，日本遣唐使受賞，帶回了中國鯉魚的魚種，這是日本有鯉魚的開始。而由於鯉魚在當時是「上國」所賜，致日人珍視有加，繁衍後代代相傳，均作為觀賞名魚，不興食用。