Koi Fish Tattoo Designs – How to Choose Stunning Japanese Or Chinese Koi Fish Tattoo Designs

A popular and colorful tattoo, koi fish tattoo designs come in a wide variety. Have you thought about whether you want a Japanese koi design or a Chinese design? The koi represent overall good luck in general, however the Japanese and Chinese designs differ in both look and specific meaning. We will talk about the differences, as well as point you in the right direction for finding the perfect design for you.

Japanese Koi Tattoo Meaning:
In Japan, the koi is seen as very energetic and lively, and is considered a masculine symbol. Koi, like salmon, must fight strong river currents to get to their spawning and feeding grounds.

The Japanese also make a connection between the koi and the courageous Samurai spirit. This can represent a person’s ability to overcome great obstacles in order to achieve success in one’s life.

In the west, we have taken the Japanese koi’s traits of strength and courage and interpreted it as symbolic of a person’s independence. This is more of an American interpretation as the Japanese do not value independence and individuality as much as westerners do.

In Japan, the word Koi translates into “carp” but it also translates into the word “love.” In this case, a romantic type of love.

Chinese Koi Tattoo Meaning:
In China, koi are considered “dragon fish” or the king of fishes. Similar to the Japanese, the Chinese koi is also symbolic of attaining great goals and dreams. More so than the Japanese, the Chinese symbolism greatly emphasizes life long wealth, good fortune and abundance.

Again, both the Japanese and Chinese meaning for Koi is overall good luck in general. However, the main difference seems to be that the Japanese symbolism emphasizes strength and power while the Chinese symbolism emphasizes wealth and abundance.

Have you thought about where to find the perfect koi fish tattoo designs? It’s best to avoid the generic websites that offer hundreds or even thousands of free designs. Most of these sites have artwork that is very outdated and was never designed to be a tattoo in the first place.

The best bet is to find websites that offer award-winning artwork designed by professional tattoo artists. Professional sites will have a very high standard and only offer designs created by artists that understand the details of this art form. Remember, just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean it will look good on your body. This is especially true with koi fish tattoo designs which are often on the large side.

Choose wisely and you will have a tattoo that has a deep meaning for you as well as looking great on your body…. a work of art that you will proudly display the rest of your life.