Tattooing is an exceptional Japanese art form which has become a vogue in the western countries and other parts of the world. It has a hectic history consisting of the various representations it made and has been one of the remarkable arts in Japan.

Japanese people have denominated the art of tattooing with various names. Although the term Irezumi normally refers to the tattoo designing on any of the large parts of human body such as the back, it is also used as a general expression for any kind of tattooing. Horimono is another Japanese name for this art. Full body tattoos also are famous in Japan.

It should be noted that the tattoo art had a very negative connotation associated with it for the vast majority of the Japanese people. This was largely because of the influence of con Confucianism and Buddhism. In Japan having a tattoo means that you are either part of the Japanese Mafia named Yakuza or a low class macho man.

The earliest remains of the art of tattooing belong to the Ainu people who were amongst the early settlers of Japan. The Wa people is another tribe that was known for its full body tattooing practice. The history of tattoo art traces back to 1700 years ago.

In China, although they were more sophisticated in the field of art than Japan, tattooing was regarded as a malpractice and uncivilized convention. When Buddhism moved from China to Japan, this thought also followed it. As a result tattooing became infamous for its use as a punishment and as a label for the criminals.

Tattoos had a drastic change in the Edo period and it grew as a global trend. Firemen and labourers used to tattoo themselves and even prostitutes used tattoos to pull their clients because of their intriguing charm.

It was in the 18th century that tattooing became an official sentence for those who transgressed the law. This was a direct replacement of amputation of the nose and ears. A ring tattoo on the forearm was placed for every offence and in other cases a character tattoo would be placed on the criminal’s forehead. It was the Meiji government that abolished the practice of tattooing criminals in 1870.

This kind of punishment became a reason for the emergence of a marginalized class of people and they were always kept away from the society. Most of them were Samurai people called Ronin who had no masters. They had no way other than forming their own gangs and these circumstances led to the formation of the Japanese Mafia and became a social nuisance.

Japanese people are not yet ready to accept this art as a cultured one. However, in the other countries it has become a fashionable practice among the modern people.

Japanese Samurai art is an important part of the warrior creed in Japan. To learn more about ancient Japanese tattoo art please click on the links.

categories: art,tattoos,Japan,spirituality,society,poeple,homes,house,family,kids,health,entertainment

Tags: Tattoos