Chinese Japense Tattoo Designs and Meaning

Amongst the most popular designs in the tattoo world is that of Chinese and Japanese designs derived from legend. The dragon stands at the top of the most notable of these, but certainly included are the phoenix, the koi, and the tiger. All of which have significant meaning both in life and on the skin.

Wearing a dragon..becomes a part of you...the dragon tattoo will signify all that you want it to be.

The dragon has many connotations throughout various parts of the world, but in Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes strength, intelligence and positive will. There is nothing here about being hungry for medieval knights. The dragon is a symbol of honor and knowledge.

As far as tattoos go, the dragon just fits. Wearing a dragon as part of your skin becomes a part of you. The form it takes can accentuate the contours of your own body with the motions of its own. Full of bright colors or even done in scales of gray, the dragon tattoo will signify all that you want it to be.

As with many tattoos, their meaning evolves with time. It doesn't have to statically signify what it did when it was first laid down. The dragon is half of the yin yang puzzle. The other half is usually one of two characters, the tiger or the phoenix.

Dragon and phoenix embroidered tapestries or golden statues are given as wedding gifts to symbolize the union of marriage.

The phoenix or Fenghuang represents high virtue and grace or the female force. Together with the dragon, it is a perfect balance of the soul or union of man and woman. Many times, a dragon and phoenix yin yang symbolic gift is given to a newly married couple to signify their union.

Often the dragon and phoenix hold jointly a sphere. This symbolizes that although the dragon and phoenix are independent of each other, they share a common goal. Together the union will hold true, however, if separated their goals cannot be met and in essence the sphere drops.

Koi flags are flown in Japan on Boy's Day to honor of each son in the family

The koi is also a power symbol of Chinese and Japanese culture. Japanese for carp, the koi tattoo is known for its strength against adversity, perseverance, and masculinity. Koi are known to traverse upstream and even up waterfalls to meet the destination. The Chinese specifically believe this destination is Dragon's Gate where, if reached, they will transform into a dragon to live out their remaining days.

This is why you will sometimes see a fishlike body with the head of a dragon - signifying this transformation from something mighty into something mightier.

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