Japanese Tattoo Art

Although many sources claim that tattooing began in Japan between the 1600 and 1800s, many scholars have noted evidence that the Ainu people (early settlers of Japan) were known to tattoo their faces with simple designs and to dive for shells and rocks to wear on their bodies.

The tattoos known today as irezumi began in 1720, when the Japanese government began to tattoo criminals for punishment. Criminals were marked by rings on their arms (with the number of rings indicating the number of crimes they had committed) or with characters on their foreheads. These notable marks created a class of criminals and former criminals who were easily identified, and therefore shunned by normal society.

In the 1800s in the city of Edo (now Tokyo), a cultural explosion began to occur resulting in a an outpouring of creative works in literature and art. Many of the artists who created paintings during the time also transferred their skills to tattooing, creating masterpieces on skin.

Many of the original wearers of Japanese tattoos were prostitutes (who felt the artwork increased their sex appeal) and the firemen of Edo (who were considered heroes at the time).

Although the completely manual process was painful and took hours to complete, the wearer was rewarded with a beautiful piece of artwork. However, at the time, polite society in Japan would not accept the display of body-art in public places, so tattoos were rarely seen.

This form of tattoing, now known as irezumi, is the common form displayed in movies and literature, and is also associated with the Yakuza.

The Yakuza originally formed from several different pieces of Japanese society including gamblers, peddlers and disgraced warriors known as ronin. It is probably that because it was these people who were first tattooed as punishment, and partly because they were also glamorized by the artwork of the period that the tattoo become a part of Yakuza culture.

Yakuza tattoos are intricate patterns which indicate the affiliation of the wearer with his specific faction. Yakuza tattoos will also sometimes tell the story of the wearer's life. However, because of the traditions of Yakuza society, they are rarely revealed in view of civilians, and are instead covered by long-sleeved, high-necked shirts.

If you've found this lens helpful in any way I'd appreciate your star-rating on the right side of this page. It may not seem like much, but it's how we take pride in our work on Squidoo.

Thank you!
Ryan
Building a Better Web