Koi Tattoos Symbolism

A legend tells of how any koi that succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate (on the Yellow River) would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.

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Koi in Vintage Japanese Tkimono and Obi

The fish most commonly used for Japanese decorative textile purposes is the Koi or carp. Because these fish had to leap in treacherous waters to spawn, they were chosen as symbols of vigor and endurance. Celebratios with koi banners floating gracefully against the sky on bamboo poles are common.

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Koi Fish Facts

While the Japanese have rightfully earned their reputation as the planet's koi-craziest people, the Chinese were the first to breed koi (Cyprinus carpio) and their close relatives, goldfish (Carassius auratus), in the 1300s. In fact, the word "koi" is of Chinese origin; the Japanese, who started breeding colorful carp in only 1800 or so, call the fish nishikigoi. (Koi first became popular in the United States after World War II.)

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Koi Fish Color Breeding

Koi breeding is generally held to have begun around the 17th century in the Niigata prefecture of Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp would be more brightly colored than others, capture them, and raise them (when normally the brighter colors would doom the fish to be more likely eaten by birds and other predators). By the 19th century, a number of color patterns had been established, most notably the red-and-white kohaku. Butterfly koi, developed in the 1980s and notable for their long and flowing fins, are actually hybrids with Asian carp, and not considered true koi.

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Koi crazy: Fish takes over back yards and collectors' hearts

Koi are the piscine equivalent of deer. What they don't eat, they rip out of the pots, and most gardeners who become fascinated with the fish learn to combine two hobbies in a separate fashion.

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Kanji: Koi - Love (Japanese)

Koi is used to describe the love for that special someone it can also be used to describe a love for a thing or activity. Koi would not be used to describe love for a parent or child.

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History of Koi

Koi, or Nishikigoi, are the national fish of Japan. "Nishiki" describes a colorful fish in Japanese, and "Goiro Koi" means carp, so Nishikigoi can be translated as "colorful carp." Koi are thought to originate in the Middle Eastern region now known as Iran from a species of fish called Magoi, the common carp. Over a thousand years ago, Magoi were widely traded as a staple food source, exported to Japan, China, and Western Europe.

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