Yakuza Tattoos come in different styles and forms

Yakuza tattoos come in different styles and forms. They are often done in colored inks and their designs make bold statements. Yakuza tattoos are often placed in body spots that are often exposed for the entire world to see. You can often see them on their hands, arms, chest and necks. Because of the relation of Yakuza to tattoos, you cannot blame a normal Japanese to be afraid and slightly frightened of some people with large and daring tattoos. It is common for heavily tattooed people to be banned in public and some exclusive hotels. Yakuza is known to tattoo their own members. If you see a black ring around an arm of a Yakuza, this can stand for the number of crimes he committed.

Yakuza Tattoo

Yakuza Tattoo

Yakuza Tattoo

Yakuza Tattoo

Dragon Tattoos : More Meaning of Japanese

The Japanese dragon is one of the mythological creatures most popular selected for inking and a traditional choice for a design of tattooing. It is usually depicts as a creature snake-like without wings and heavy-measured with small scratched legs and chief with horns or antlered of camel, and is associated with the sea, the clouds or the skies. The Japanese dragons tend to being much thinner and fly less frequently than the Chinese counterparts.

The breath of the Japanese dragon changes into clouds of which come rain or fires. It can increase or contract its body, and moreover it with the power of the transformation and invisibility. It is simply a general description and does not apply to all the Japanese dragons, some of which have the heads so extraordinary kind which they cannot be compared with anything in the animal kingdom.

There are a wide vareity of different tattoo possibilities with a dragon. There are the issues of location, size and design to consider. The style and look of the dragon can often determine what the person might wish to represent. For example an evil looking dragon that is bearing his large teeth and sourrounded by flames and wrapping around a large sowrd would obvisouly represent power, strength and the warrior spirit. Where as a dragon that is depicted in a sceen above a large body of water or int he clouds in flight might represent peace and beauty. So the style, look and feel of the tattoo will ultimatly determine the meaning of the tattoo. Japanese Dragon Tattoo Placement

Since dragons are so prevelant through Japanese art, architecture, and literature there are many different even historically famous tattoo designs to choose from when contemplating getting a dragon tattoo. As far as location the most popular place is a very large full back piece. This allows for a lot of canvas space to truly depict the beauty and power of the mystical beast. You are not just locked into a large back piece however, as there are many different dragont attoo designs to work with and you can get a tattoo anywhere on your body that you want. Typically calves, shoulders and sleeve tattoos also work well for dragon tattoos. The choice is up to you and what you want and what you are looking to express int he design.

Japanese Tattoo on Back and Shoulders

Japanese oni mask tattoo with koi dragon and foo dog covering man's upper back and shoulders.

japan tattoos

Japanese tattoo sleeve with demon & cherry blossoms

Phoenix Japanese tattoo

The Phoenix Its name comes from the Greek word for "red", the color of fire. According to the Greek historians Herodotus and Plutarch, it came originally from Ethiopia. For the ancient Egyptians, though, a heron was the first animal to land on the hill that rose out of the primordial ooze.

Japanese geisha

The Japanese geisha
In modern Japan, geishas have been transformed into symbols of traditional values. In the west, the geisha has become a symbol of the exotic grace and beauty of the East. In this tattoo design, the wind has ruffled her kimono and set some pieces of paper loose, perhaps from the sheaf tucked near her arm. The wind has also loosed some petals of cherry blossoms which are beginning to swirl past her. They echo the cherry blossom design of the lower part of her kimono while the upper part makes use of the chrysanthemum. Both flowers are frequently used in Japanese art and in Japanese tattoos.

Japanese Dragon

Japanese Dragon Entwined Around a Sword Tattoo Design by Greg James

Traditional Japanese tattoo

Japanese tattoos are known for their full body styling, bold lines, historic patterns and traditional images. The techniques for tattooing that developed in Japan used hand tools, and it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that machines first came to Japanese tattooing.

Incredibly popular are the Tattoo Contests, which will be held in various categories such as black and grey, best small piece, best large piece etc., where visitors take part in an exciting competition in which art and fun are the real winners.

On September 21st to September 23rd of 2007, Starlight Tattoo will be accompanied by world famous tattoo artists at the Meadowlands Exposition Center! THIS IS THE ULTIMATE TATTOO EVENT OF THE YEAR! Covered by every trade magazine world wide! News & Radio coverage. Celebrity appearances! Vendors from clothes to tattoo supplies, piercing supplies, accessories, and merchandise. Doctors for laser tattoo removal, Seminars in Art-History and Law of Tattooing. Contests all weekend long! HENNA ARTISTS, T-Shirt designers, SOMETHING FOR EVERY BODY.

The Times reported that “The traditional show on the Tattoo” was very much in evidence as middle-aged rockers of both sexes mingled with a new, younger breed of heavy metal fans, but amid the throng of Motorhead and Anthrax T-shirts were dozens of stylishly dressed young women, many of them sporting large, but beautifully crafted, Oriental tattoos. The trend for bold statements rather than cute little hearts and butterflies appears to be growing as one in eight Britons are now estimated to carry this particular form of adornment.

Hori Toshi is one of the greatest hand tattooing masters of all times. So do not miss this rare opportunity to see this master working in traditional Japanese style on the East Coast! Japanese tattoo is called “irezumi” or “horimono” in Japanese.

In Japan, tattoo is usually considered to be a symbol of a yakuza and tends to be perceived negatively by people. For example, many public bath facilities in Japan inhibit customers who have tattoos from entering. Traditional Japanese tattoo covers arms, shoulders, and the back. In recent years, it’s becoming popular for Japanese young people to get contemporary tattoos.

source: http://www.wayfaring.info/2007/05/30/traditional-japanese-tattoo-show/

Japanese Foot Tattoo

Japanese Arm Tattoo

Japanese Body Tattoo Gallery

Japanese Body Tattoo

Japanese Dragon Tattoo