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Koi (more specifically, ”nishikigoi”) are ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp. The word ””koi”” comes from Japanese, simply means ””carp.”” It includes both the dull grey fish and the brightly colored varieties. The common carp is widely believed to have originated from the Caspian Sea with natural habitat surrounding the North, Baltic, Mediterranean, Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Sea basins. The common carp, as a food fish with the ability to survive and adapt to many different climates and waterways, was bartered and spread to many different areas, including North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Koi breeding originated in 18th century Japan. Farmers working the rice fields would notice that some carp were more brightly colored the other ones, capture them, and raise them. The outside world did not become aware of the degree of development until 1914, when the koi were exhibited in the annual exposition in Tokyo. At that point, interest in koi exploded throughout Japan. The hobby of keeping koi spread worldwide after plastic bags and shipping of koi became both fast and safe for the fish. These factors enabled koi to be shipped worldwide with low mortality rates. Koi are now commonly sold in most pet stores, with higher-quality fish available from specialist dealers.

Koi can live for decades. One famous scarlet koi, named “Hanako” was owned by several individuals and was reportedly 226 years old upon her death. Her age was determined by removing one of her scales and examining it extensively in 1966. She is the longest-lived koi fish ever recorded.

In Japan and China, the koi has long been a symbol of masculinity and strength. Legends tell of it leaping up the falls at Dragon Gate on the Yellow River in China. In the process, it transformed into a dragon, proof of its successful struggle against the long odds. If caught, the koi is said to await the cutting knife without a quiver, in the manner of the Samurai warrior facing the sword. In Buddhism, the koi represents fearlessness and courage on its journey through the ocean, a reminder of human suffering through our own life’s journey.

In Japan, the koi would appear on a young man’s forearm or leg. As he continued his life’s journey, he might eventually earn a dragon for his final back piece, echoing the legend of the leaping koi transforming into a dragon at Dragon Gate. Coloring, whiskers, scaling and special marks represent a range of qualities a young man might wish for in his life. For personal greatness and national pride, a white koi with a single red spot on the head would be the chosen design.