Japanese tattoo...

Japanese Tattoo: The Ainu people, who were early immigrants to Japan, first used tattoos. For the superior, urbanized Chinese culture, tattooing was an uncivilized act. As Buddhism spread from China to Japan, due to the heavy influence of Chinese culture, tattooing was banned as barbaric. Thereafter, tattooing was used to stamp criminals, to discipline and differentiate them in society. During the Edo period (1603 –1868), Japanese tattoo art became a part of Japanese culture, and it became widespread in its use. Prostitutes in brothels used them to enhance their beauty for customers, and laborers and firemen also used body tattoos. From 1720 onwards, the tattooing of criminals became a form of certified punishment, replacing the medieval technique of amputation of the nose and ears. The criminal was given a ring tattoo on his arm, or was penalized with a character tattoo on the temple. The Japanese tattoo punishment for criminals continued till 1870, and was later done away with by the Meiji administration of the then Japanese Emperor. This visible punishment produced a new class of recluse that had no position in the social order. Many of these outlaws were ronin – mercenary samurai soldiers that formed into clans. These men formed the ancestry of yakuza, the organized criminals or the Japanese Mafia in the twentieth century. Today, although the Japanese youth have adopted the Western craze of body tattooing, most of the older Japanese population still regards it as something associated with the criminal world of gangsters, or a habit of the menial class.

Japanese Tattoo Symbol: Kanji is one of the three Japanese alphabets used in Japanese literature (the other two are Katakana and Hiragana). It is a set of hieroglyphic symbols, which was developed in China. The Japanese tattoo symbol kanji, being the most identifiable with the art, comes up the most on Web searches. Koi are a feature of Japanese tattooing and play important characters in both Chinese and Japanese folklore, legends, parables and fairy-tales. In many stories, Koi are accounted to have transformed through their labors and determination, and are able to climb waterfalls or become dragons. The Koi symbol represents firmness in the face of misfortune, strength of character, good judgment, knowledge, endurance and fidelity.

Japanese Tattoo Art: The art of Japanese tattoos was prompted by love and tragedy. Lovers, courtesans and prostitutes (Geishas) would frequently have the name of a lover tattooed with erotic kanji art, thus representing a pledge of eternal love. The Edo period text is full of references to love pledging tattoos, or irebokuro, as they were known in Japanese society. Japanese Tattoo is similar to the woodblock print of Japan in design and coloring. The popularity of artists like Utagawa Kunisada and Kitagawa Utamaro, who are often portrayed as tattooed figures, corresponds with the blossoming of tattoo art among the working-class of Japanese society.

Japanese Dragon Tattoo: Dragons are a standard preference among Japanese tattoo designs. They are more popular than other mythological creatures including mermaids, gryphons and fairies. Dragons have always been known for their fearsome fire breathing qualities, which represents strength and power. The Japanese believed the dragon to be the reincarnation of Gods who had the power to control the four elements, earth, fire, wind and water. Japanese Tattoo designers pay special attention to creating images of dragons, with all their fearsome appeal.