Japanese Tattoo Lettering

In Japan, tattooing and tattoo lettering began primarily as an expression of spirituality. From approximately 300 BC to 300 AD, a Japanese tattoo always conveyed a certain religious meaning for its bearer, and also served as a decorative status symbol.

During this period, tattooing was meticulously practiced and highly regarded. For the tattoo artists, tattooing was not just an occupation, but a way of life. For instance, aspiring apprentices had to train under masters for many years before becoming credible and acknowledged tattoo artists, which are called “horis” in Japan. Only a horis was allowed to create full body suit tattoos.

All that changed when the government began to etch tattoos on criminals as a means of punishment. During the Meiji era, the Japanese government outlawed tattooing and forced artists to practice underground. It was legalized again in 1945, but until now, Japanese tattoos have never completely shaken off the negative association with common felons and the Yakuza, Japan’s longstanding infamous mafia. Consequently, people sporting tattoos are known to be banned in many public baths and massage parlors by apprehensive business owners. Despite all this, Japanese tattoos continue to gain popularity domestically and worldwide because of the outstanding artistry of the designs and the deep mystical symbolism inherent to them.

Japanese tattoos are formed using words, images, and numbers, or different combinations of each. There are three kinds of scripts in Japanese:

* Kanji – originated from traditional Chinese characters. Intricate and beautiful, these characters are used to convey concepts.
* Hiragana – developed during the Heian period by women. It represents sounds, and looks feminine.
* Katakana – series of characters developed by Buddhist monks. The style is sharp and masculine, and represents sounds.

Kanji, hiragana, and katakana are combined and used for lettering and can be written vertically and horizontally. Katakana is generally used for foreign names, places, and words that are of foreign origin. For Japanese tattoo lettering, people often use Kanji.

In the same manner as there are different lettering styles in English writing, there are also different writing styles to create Japanese characters. They are:

* Kaisho, is the Japanese equivalent of block style.
* Gyousho, is the equivalent of cursive style.
* Sousho, is an extreme form of cursive, perhaps the equivalent of fancy Old English lettering.

Called “irezumi” and “horimono”, Japanese tattoos are stunning but are rather complicated to create because there is no actual alphabet for the Japanese language. Written communication is a group of symbols representing sounds or general concepts. That’s why it is so important to find yourself a tattoo artist who has extensive knowledge and expertise with the Japanese language, and its attached symbolism.

Koi Tattoo Meaning And Symbolism

One of the most popular trends and designs in the world of tattoos right now are koi fish tattoos. It is pretty obvious to see why these designs are so sought after. They are deeply symbolic, mysterious and beautiful all at the same time. They are bright and colorful and when they splash in the blue water behind them they can make for a dynamic tattoo that is full of power, symbolism and movement. If you are considering getting a koi tattoo design then you should really know what the symbolism and meaning is behind them first.

The koi have long been a part of the Japanese life. At almost every temple and sacred place there is a small koi pond. The koi also know as Carp fish is known throughout China and Japan. Originally the story came from Buddhist teachings in Chine where it was believed the koi fish would swim upstream and go against the current and even up a waterfall. The myth states that any koi fish that could swim up the Yellow river and up the waterfall at the mythical place called Dragon Gate would then turn into a dragon. Therefore in China the koi fish would stand for strength and power and advancement. This same idealism was adopted throughout Japan. It was adopted in Japan to such a degree that it has become a part of their daily life and ritual. In fact large flags of koi fish are flown on Boy’s Day to celebrate the strength, energy and power that boys should posses.

The meaning of this symbol has become so much that it can be hard to communicate it in one paragraph. It can stand for many different things. For example on Boy’s Day in Japan a group of at least four koi fish and often flown together on a flag pole. Thus the fish can be thought of as a symbol of for family strength and unity. Since the legend states that koi fish would swim up stream it has also symbolic of power, struggle and overcoming the odds in life. In the same vein it is also a symbol of courage. The Japanese believe that the koi fish is so courageous that when it is caught and put on the cutting board to be killed it doesn’t quiver like other fish but it bravely accepts it death and its fate as a person especially someone with a Samurai spirit should accept their life and its short falls.

Japanese Sleeve Tattoo Designs

Japanese sleeve tattoos with its rich and intricate details combined with bright colors are extremely popular among tat enthusiasts. It’s becoming a mainstream and are not only getting attention from the males but with females as well. Being very exquisite and decorative, tattooing this theme can take a lot of time, even multiple session thus it can be expensive. However, the idea of sporting an aesthetically pleasing tattoo art on your arm can be really rewarding making it so much worth in the end.

When contemplating on getting Japanese sleeve tattoos, you have two options to choose from – half sleeve or full sleeve designs. Half sleeve tattoos start from the upper arm and end near the elbows while full sleeve covers the entire arm. Normally, a full sleeve is a product of something that started out as just a half-sleeve body art and then is extended later on with complimentary designs to make it a full sleeve ink. The arm is the body part involved in this process and it is such a great canvas to work on because its shape makes way for artistic flow of various tattoo arts.

The most common designs for Japanese sleeve tattoo are those that are part of their history and culture such as koi fish, cherry blossoms, samurai, dragon and geisha. Their symbolism and art go way beyond just tattoo designs because they hold deep significance in the Japanese psyche. They are the symbols that have been part of Japanese folklore that has lead their prominence in art and culture. They generally represent strength and courage to go through trials to achieve one’s purpose in life. The kind of message that one wants to convey in his Japanese tattoos.

The Mystical Japanese Tattoo Symbols

Due to the popularity of body art many art lovers have tried to ink the Japanese tattoo symbols in their body. During the early years, when you are in Japan, you would have tattoos of the people you would think that are associated to Yakuza, which is known to be a group of notorious Japanese criminals. But over the years, Japan has developed and the significance of body art is greatly appreciated. Presently, both the tattoo lovers and tattoo artists find the Japanese symbols attractive.

Koi Fish – This is one of the most sought Japanese symbols used even for non-Japanese. If you visit Japan you will notice that most of the temples have Koi fish symbol. This is because the fish signifies strong determination that is very significant to the people of Japan. Likewise, the Koi fish is also a symbol of uncompromising bravery.

Moreover, Koi fish is one of the many symbols that are used by men on their arms, back, calf areas and shoulders. Some inked this symbol in full sleeve designs while others choose the large koi tattoos. On the hand, women prefer to ink the tattoo on their arms, stomach areas and hips. The good thing about this symbol is that the color harmonizes with any skin tone.

Kanji Tattoo

The world of tattoo art accommodates a diverse variety of designs to suit the personality and foster the creative genius, of just about any woman. Kanji tattoo designs in the western hemisphere however, are making a play to stand tall above the rest. Such designs have gained notoriety with celebrities and common folk from all lifestyles.

Kanji tattoo designs come from a Japanese script, originating within Chinese characters. Kanji tattoos in essence, are ideograms depicting abstract ideas such as spirit, belief, love, loyalty, trust or the conveyance of any individual significance. In the ongoing spirit of competition, some tattoo bearers and artists alike, envelope their characters with various pictures to round out the tattoo. Whether looking to write a special name or to revere particular scenery, Kanji tattoos have one intention – to make a statement even if shrouded in mystery. The objective is to gain attention and ask questions, perhaps an icebreaker in conversation with strangers.

The History And Popularity Of Tattoos

In today’s culture, a big trend among teens and twenty-somethings alike is using tattoos, body art, and body piercings as a way of expressing themselves. Other age groups are into these trends as well, but it is most prominent in the younger generations. Seeing that you can get a picture of anything imaginable as a tattoo or body art, people get them to express things they like, people they love, things that they are passionate about, and things that have meaning in their lives.

Tattoos are thought to have begun about 9500 BCE in the Middle East which is traditionally known as the Stone Age so it’s safe to say that the art of tattooing has been around practically forever. It has been used for a myriad of reasons ranging from a mark of bravery to marks of status and rank to showing spiritual devotion to marking people as outcasts and slaves. Today, those reasons aren’t so common. For the most part, people today tend to get tattoos to express themselves and show their individuality.

Pop culture today has made tattoos gain new popularity. As more and more public figures are getting tattoos, it would follow that today’s youth who look up to those models would want tattoos as well. Tattoos are popular on the ankles, lower backs, calves, and shoulders, but can be anywhere on the body. Unfortunately, popularity doesn’t always mean it’s popular for good.

Tattoos have received a negative association in some places, especially in Japan. The Yakuza, a very large group of criminals, are known to have full body tattoos as part of their culture and mark of solidarity. This is difficult as someone may have full body tattoos and therefore be outlawed from entering certain establishments simply for fear that they are part of the Yakuza even when they may not be associated with them. With young girls, the negative connotation of tattoos is girls who get them to show how they feel about their self-image. Many girls will get tattoos to show they have control of their body at least in some respect when they may feel they don’t have control over how their body is seen.

Although tattoos have been popular throughout history with their popularity increasing over the years, there are people who want them removed at some point. This can be done although it is a painful and costly procedure. Laser treatments are being improved all the time that help these tattoos get removed. Tattoos are a mostly permanent decision so make sure you really want one forever if you plan to get one done.

The History Of Yakuza Tattoos

Many years ago in the time of the Shogun, the Japanese Authorities would tattoo criminals to make them stand out from the rest of the population. These would take the form of black rings on the arms. As the sentence and convictions increased, so would the rings on the arms.

These tattooed men would stick together and form gangs and eventually they would be known as Yakuza. These tattoos where worn proudly as symbols of status and these Yakuza tattoos developed into magnificent, ornate tattoos that covered the whole body. These Yakuza tattoos have been known to take over two years to complete.

The Yakuza are believed to be one of the largest organized crime factions in the world and have been around longer than the mafia and their history can be traced back to the year 1612.

For the Yakuza it doesn’t matter which country you come from or from which class of society you belong to, Yakuza members must be willing to die for their boss.

Today’s many Yakuza gang factions are patriarchal in nature but women are integral parts of Japan’s gangland society. Wives, mistresses and girlfriends of top Yakuza figures often undergo extensive tattooing. These women sometimes use tattoos to demonstrate their affiliations with the gang lifestyle. In some cases it’s done to show loyalty and obedience to the Yakuza member they are involved with

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Irezumi is the art of tattooing in Japan. This word means insertion of ink. This can be referred to a tattoo artist, the person who gets the tattoo, or the tattoo itself.

The Japanese Samurai who would tattoo themselves so if they died in battle would also use tattoos and their clothes and armor looted after; there would still be a means for them to be recognized.

In modern Japan, it is now widely thought that if you have a tattoo you are in the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. A lot of establishments, especially hot springs and bathhouses, will not let you enter their establishment if you have any form of tattoo.