Etymology. In Japanese, irezumi literally means 'inserting ink' and can be written in several ways, most commonly as 入れ墨.
Broadly speaking, tattooing in Japan is generally referred to as Irezumi. But from a traditional view-point, Japanese tattoo style is referred to as Wabori.
Wabori (和彫り) is the term to describe Japanese tattoos of Japanese designs. For example, tattoos of japanese style dragons, samurai and koi fish are all considered wabori. On the other hand, western tattoos that have western designs are called youbori.
Horishi. If there's one term that perfectly encapsulates the art of traditional Japanese tattooing, it's "horishi". Horishi refers to the master tattoo artist who is responsible for creating the intricate and detailed designs that adorn the skin in the traditional Japanese tattoo process.
The Yakuza, or Japanese mafia, soon adopted the Japanese style of tattooing known as Irezumi, and used tattoos as a way to identify themselves as members of the gang.
Actually, tattoos are fine in Japan. They're not illegal in any way. You may even see some people walking around with fashion tattoos, especially in Tokyo. Although some people in Japan have tattoos, they are usually hidden underneath clothing.
The Yakuza are still active in Japan. Although Yakuza membership has declined since the implementation of the Anti-Boryokudan Act in 1992, the Japanese National Police Agency estimated in 2022 that approximately 11,400 Yakuza members were engaged in illegal activity in Japan.
Nukibori – The areas of skin that a tattooist leaves unmarked. Senaka – A type of bodysuit that covers the back, thighs and buttocks only.
In Japanese, irezumi literally means 'inserting ink' and can be written in several ways, most commonly as 入れ墨. Synonyms include bunshin (文身, lit. 'patterning the body'), shisei (刺青, lit.
The Picts, the indigenous people of what is today northern Scotland, were documented by Roman historians as having complex tattoos. The oldest preserved tattoos come from Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummified body frozen in ice discovered in the mountains of Italy in 1991.
Although this may sound gruesome, Tebori actually means to hand carve. Because of this, the skin is tattooed in a similar way to how a wood block would be prepared for making a print.
Yurei Tattoos
Similar to Chinese and Western ideas of spirits, Yurei are thought to be the spirit of someone who is kept from a peaceful afterlife. This can happen if the person has committed suicide, has been murdered, or if the final rites of their burial were not properly carried out.
Oni tattoos mainly represent a way of warding off bad omens– they are a source of luck. These tattoos have the power to bring you good fortune in almost any situation. Also, these interesting tattoos mean that no one should mess with you.
Sak Yant is the traditional Buddhist name for the Thai art of tattooing sacred and intricated geometrical designs. The Yant designs are normally tattooed by Buddhist monks, Brahmin Holy men, or devout Buddhist artists.
The word “Kaeru” or frog in Japanese means return, which is why the frog is considered a lucky animal in Japan. There is good fortune in things returning. They are linked to things or people returning to a place or origin.
Hallmarks of anime tattoos are bold lines, flat colours and 'cartoon' ways of creating depth perception with sharp shading and detailed lines. One of the most popular styles of anime tattoo depict a character from a person's favourite anime series.
A namakubi tattoo is a severed head, usually done in the Japanese style of tattooing. It is illustrating the final moment of seppuku. Also known as harakiri, seppuku was a right reserved only for samurai for a very long time.
Oni (Demon)
They are probably the most common of the ghostly beings in Japanese cosmology and are typically depicted as rampaging, violent, and cruel. Almost always shown with horns, their faces can be quite varied, similar to noh masks, and are typically pink, red, or blue-grey.
What does Raijin symbolize? Sculptures of Raijin are displayed to provide protection and peace to those inside places of worship. Raijin is seen as a powerful warrior, fighting for those who trust him for their safety. As Raijin is also partially trusted with the rain for rice crops, he symbolizes provision.
A body suit or full body suit is an extensive tattoo, usually of a similar pattern, style or theme that covers the entire torso or the entire body.
One of the most famous and favored designs of Japanese and Chinese art, Foo Dog tattoos, also known as 'The Lion of Buddha', are indeed lions and not dogs. Here we go in-depth behind this beloved creature. Foo Dogs are most often shown in pairs and are viewed as guardians.
The name is derived from hori (彫) or 'to engrave or carve' and hebi (へび) 'snake'. All Japanese tattoo masters are traditionally called 'hori' then named after a flower, animal or something related to tattooing.
Do yakuza have wives? Contrary to the Western mafia wives, Yakuza wives have remained outside the sphere of criminal activity in this organized crime structure, limited to the emotionally receptive and financially supportive role.
The yakuza have been described as a “necessary evil” – while their involvement in criminal activities has always been recognised, their ability to monopolise and control the underworld, curbing the excesses of less-organised gangs and foreign groups, was seen as reassuring.
Kenichi Shinoda (篠田 建市, Shinoda Ken'ichi, born January 25, 1942), also known as Shinobu Tsukasa (司 忍, Tsukasa Shinobu), is a Japanese Yakuza, the sixth and current kumicho (supreme kingpin, or chairman) of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest yakuza organization.