The art of tattooing has a long and rich history in Japan. The custom of making tattoos has been a prominent part of the Japanese culture although the conception of the art form has changed over the years.

The terms Irezumi and Horimono are generally used to refer to the Japanese art of tattooing in spite of the fact that the word Irezumi can be used to represent the exercise of tattooing the large body parts. Full body tattoos also are designed by the Japanese people.

It should be noted that the tattoo art had a very bad implication linked with it for the vast majority of the Japanese people. This was mainly 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 tattoo art boasts a history of 1700 years. The Ainu tribe, the very first people to take up residence in Japan, are believed to be the founders of this art. Another ancient tribe named Wa’ were accustomed to full body tattoos.

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

The Edo era was the golden age for tattooing as it turned the corner and started to be considered as a fashionable trend. Workmen and firemen had the habit of tattooing and even the prostitutes found their way to turn on their clients by adoring themselves with tattoos.

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

This type of punishment became a reason for the emergence of a rejected class of people and they were always kept away from the society. Most of them were Samurai people known as 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.

Today however we find that the idea of tattooing has drastically changed from what it used to be back in those years. Although it continues to have a negative connotation for the majority in Japan it is increasingly being taken as a means of making a fashion statement.

Kanji symbols from Japan share some similarities with Chinese symbols . anyone wanting to read further on the subject of Traditional Japanese tattoo art click on the hyperlinks herein.

Tags: Tattoos