koi fish tattoo design on the back


This is a Koi fish tattoo. In Japanese, 'koi' is a homophone for another word that means 'affection' or 'love'; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan. An example of this is given in a short story by Mukoda Kuniko, "Koi-san". Koi tattoos have also become a popular trend in North America.