The Legacy of The Japanese Tattoo.
Does modern day tattooing still owe a debt to Japan’s past?
This dissertation will look at the history of Japanese tattooing and discuss its
influence on modern day tattoo art. It will also seek to show the importance of the
relationship between the tattoo artist and client in contracting a collaborative
agreement in what work should be undertaken in terms of technique, location on
the body and subject. It will also describe some of the principal techniques that
underpin the art of Japanese tattoo and reflect on its continued use today. It will
also seek to look at the continuing influence its cultural history plays in guiding
the work of modern Japanese designers.
It has to be said that Japanese tattooing is one of the most popular and vibrant
styles in the modern day art that is tattoo. However it has been a long and difficult
journey for the tattoos that enthusiasts can enjoy today. From its earliest roots in
Japanese culture it has been subject to banning by Japanese governments of
different periods and it is therefore testament to the power, beauty and sheer skill
of the work of their creators, that whether under the cover of clothing, (by pure
necessity), or overshadowed by the stigma that wearing a tattoo often bears, the
masters of the Japanese tattoo have been able to continue to practice their art and
by doing so have continued to exert their powerful influence in the world of
tattoo art.
Among many others, Horiyoshi I (Fig.1), II, IV have continued to practice
throughout these difficult periods, pushing boundaries of their masterpieces to
the absolute limits and Horiyoshi 3 brings tattooing to a modern stage through
the use of the internet.
Horiyoshi 1 (Fig.1)
Until recently there has been an interesting difference between traditional
Japanese and western tattoo artists in the way in which they find and develop
relationships with clients and this difference will be discussed later. The true
Japanese masters did not advertise their work or trade outwith the confines of
their studios. Instead, it was treated very discreetly and secretively with most of
their clients seeking them out through the word of mouth of former and current
clients. The prospective client was then offered the opportunity to meet with the
master in order to discuss the various decisions to be made between the two
parties. If the artist and client agreed, a contract of sorts would be struck between
the two and a relationship begun that might last for the lifetime of both
participants. Indeed it may outlive both as will be discussed later.
When a traditional master has this meeting with his prospective client he must
feel an empathy with both the client and the client’s choice of tattoos, and it is not
unheard of for an experienced artist to tattoo a full body piece for no payment at
all if he feels a strong enough connection with the person. This leads to an almost
“familial” connection with clients whose loyalty is so firmly established as to
ensure that they may never go to another master in their lifetime to create their
body art. This type of family bond is considerably different to that which we
know of in western tattooing but by the nature of the union established between
master and subject they may decide to “collaborate” together over periods of
many years thus creating vast, intricate and often beautiful works upon the skin.
In the early planning period of a new piece, the discussion between artist and
client must cover many important decisions before any inking is attempted. This
may depend on a number of factors such as the piece’s size, position and layout
on the body. Issues relating to the subject matter and positioning of the tattoos are
amongst the most important areas for discussion and it is imperative that both
must agree before moving forward towards creating the work.
Unlike the majority of western tattooing, in which each tattoo is usually finished
within a relatively short time frame, (this is not by any means always the case),
Japanese masters expect to take long periods of time to carry out the work. The
modern tattoo “client” seems to see tattoo merely as an alternative form of body
decoration that does not require the formation of a working relationship with the
artist, suggesting, perhaps, that in their minds tattooists are not so much artists as
artisans. The result is that there is often little depth or consideration of subject
matter and the subject simply expects the tattoo artist to execute work that might
serve, at best, only to amuse. A prêt a porter, “photobooth” tattoo.
In traditional Japanese tattoo, there exists a formality of design that defines
different layouts of tattoos. These are organized into several main categories and
most artists pleased to align themselves within these design traditions would be
obliged to follow them.
The large full back-piece or “Kame” is the largest area to be tattooed on the body
and this, being the largest “canvas”, is often saved for the largest and most
intricate elements of the tattoo. Its dominance as a design surface often dictates
that it also contains the central drawing or theme that is then carried forward
elsewhere on the body. The importance of the back provides for a significant
symbolic opportunity as, likened to the tortoise in its suggestion of giving its
wearer the protective shell of the animal, it attaches an internal significance to an
essentially external body decoration.
The “River” tattoo or “Kawa” is one of the oldest, most traditional and remains
one of the most popular tattoo placements. In this design, the wearer is left a clear
portion of skin down the centre of the chest from the bottom of the neck down to
waist and with arms shortened to half way up the forearm and shin. It is smaller
than the full body suit in these areas, unlike in the full suit in which the tattoos
tend to end at wrist and ankle. The River tattoo allows the wearer to obscure the
tattoo with more ease than that of the full bodysuit and can, without much
difficulty, be fully covered by the person’s everyday clothing. This type of tattoo
is also much easier to remove from the wearer after his or her death without
damaging any of its areas of tattooing. This aspect will be discussed later. When
studying the Japanese tattoo it is important to attempt to understand many of the
different elements and their meanings within the varying designs. However, it is
not only these designs which hold the key to the traditional Japanese tattoo but
many different elements combined, which together carry the traditions into
today’s modern tattooing. By the very nature of the Japanese tattoo’s journey
from its early roots to its arrival in the present day, it has retained its air of
separation from its mainstream rivals. Due in part to its history of dubious
legality and to the resulting stigma attached to it and which it still continues to
carry, it remains a very secretive and separate art form. Inevitably, in order to be
able to explore the subject properly, one must delve deeply into the finer points of
its history being as it is, not a subject that is traditionally opened to public
scrutiny.
Much of Japan’s art and the development of the Japanese tattoo that we have
come to know to this day originates from around and about a specific time in
Japanese history, namely the Edo period.
The Edo period started from around the 1600s and spanned a period up to around
1868. This was a relatively stable period politically and culturally for Japan,
ruled as it was by the “Tokugawa Shogunate” government. A large body of the
images and techniques that are present in Japanese tattooing today originated and
were developed throughout those centuries spanning the Edo period. This
countered the instability and cultural uncertainty that marked the previous period
in Japan’s history. This newfound stability led to a significantly large increase in
Japanese production and interest in the arts. It is often considered to be one of the
most fruitful, productive and exciting times in Japanese art. Prior to this
expanding interest in the arts, it was an activity enjoyed by those wealthy and
important members of the higher classes who could actually afford to take an
interest in the buying and collecting of works of art. However, a shift in the
nature of the artwork being produced suddenly led to many of the lower classes
finding that as they became more accessible, it became increasingly easy to
collect and display art works. Suddenly there was a whole new potential
customer base for art. A direct link to the tattoo was apparent in the emergence of
the “Ukiyo-e” or Japanese woodblock print, which became the most popular
style of art production within the lower classes. The relatively low cost of
production and its ability to enable easy reproduction reduced costs sufficiently
to allow access to this new clientele. It is worth noting that many of those artists
involved in the production of these woodblock prints were themselves of the
working classes. The result was that many of the themes and designs used were
engaged with familiar topics such as politics, landscape and erotica. All featured
regularly in the rapidly increasing folio of artworks now made available to an
enlarged consumer audience.
As the increasing interest and popularity of the Ukiyo-e increased so the artists
began experimenting with different more adventurous imagery drawing much
inspiration from popular and well known heroes, folklore, warriors, historical
figures and ghost tales. Although these had been popular to the people for many
years and had been produced as far back as the early 1600s at the start of the Edo,
their sudden marketability fueled an increasing drive to create new and unusual
designs.
This was no less the case with an interest in tattooing and a large part of the
burgeoning interest in the style and imagery of the Japanese tattoo was born from
around this time, many of the designs and themes remaining extant today. With
the emergence and development of new methods and designs based on this
history, Japanese tattoo has developed into a truly international industry.
The interest in colour, line and subject matter were driving factors in the early
Japanese tattoos and are still regarded today to be excellent reference base for
tattoo artists in their work.
During this time of the increasing popularity, production and ownership of art,
much of the support and respect for the Samurai ruling classes was waning. In
looking for new figures of respect, the people of Japan began instead to look
towards their ordinary fellow common man. Respect for the simple virtues of
everyday life became the ground on which to build more accessible heroes. This
would suggest that many of the tattoos of Samurai that we see in more modern
tattooing was born later as a somewhat idealized, invented mythology.
The large majority of individuals who began to receive tattoos at this time were
the men in the lower classes. These men, often members of skilled trades or
services such as the fire brigades, began to have tattoos of historical or
mythological warriors and well-known heroes placed on their skin as a visible
declaration of their respect and awe at their much revered skill, wisdom and
heroics. The fact that it was often found that these figures were idolized for acts
that they had never actually carried out, their lack of actual factual knowledge
about such characters in no way discouraged the practice. These lower class
individuals felt that through carrying these idealistic images on their skin, they
could, to a certain extent, attach to themselves the virtues of a warrior and by
doing so encourage others to view them to be warrior-like and heroic.
“Regardless of circumstance, they were expected to be
paragons of virtue, rectitude, and dedication and skilled in the
arts of war and peace, ideals which few actually achieved”
Guth (Date)Title of referenced piece pg15
Don Hardy writes;
“Fire fighting brigades …would strip before approaching the
conflagration. The intent, besides ease of movement, was to
strike a dashing pose and “out cool” the rival brigades
fighting the blaze.” pg15
Don Hardy [Ed] : “Pierced Hearts and True Love: A Century
of Drawings for Tattoos.”
A strong emphasis is commonly placed upon the underlying meaning of a
genuine Japanese tattoo. The use of a particular subject matter of the tattoo will
affect the meaning attached to the wearer. The Fire Fighting brigades in Japan,
for example, would often chose to adopt tattoos such as the Japanese Dragon and
have them tattooed on their bodies. In the Japanese tattoo, the dragon is a
mythical and all-powerful creature and these men particularly chose this design,
as, among the dragon’s attributes is its ability to live in both air and water.
Symbolically and significantly it is said to protect its wearer from fire. The
dragon image remains popular with modern wearers and has enjoyed a recent
increase in exposure thanks to its central, indeed title role in the works of the late
Stieg Larsson whose “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2009. London: MacLehose
Press) invokes a sense of mystery which combines the opposing forces of
apparent vulnerability and actual, latent strength.
The many meanings and definitions of commonly used imagery found in
Japanese tattooing are difficult to translate directly to any one definitive
meaning. A direct translation is a moot point of discussion as the meanings
underlying the images often change depending on a number of factors including;
from which period of history it originates, the interpretation of the artist who
created the tattoo and the meaning used by that artist’s teacher in a continuum
that guarantees an ever evolving use of the symbols with which to express the
needs of the time.
This is no less true of that of western tattooing. The meaning of the tattoo is also
bound to each individual person as they have their own stories and reasons for
requesting the designs.
In Japan, a man may have chosen to have a Dragon tattoo as a sign of protection
and safety from the fires, but this image also maintained a strong tie with
Samurai history, continuing to extol the virtues of wisdom and strength. The
Dragon is perhaps one of the best known tattoo designs in Japan’s tattooing
history not only in its symbolic representation of strength, but also in its
association with supernatural powers, a key to large parts of Japanese mythology.
To this day the Japanese dragon remains one of the most popular tattoos not only
in Japanese tattooing but is one of the Japanese tattoos that has crossed
international borders. In the western world people often choose to have a dragon
tattoo as a symbol of their perception of their ownership of inner strength,
whether justified or not.
It is not only the thought of the possible invocation of supernatural powers that
have brought Japanese tattoos to the west. Their beauty and the strength of their
design contribute to tattoos and tattoo subjects from Japan being sought across
all parts of the world but not more so than in the west.
The western adoption of Japanese symbols in tattooing is often, however, a
reflection of perceived stereotypes of Japanese art rather than the creation of
imagery which suggests the genuine engagement with a long evolved mythology.
To look in detail at the traditional roots in Japan’s tattooing history it serves us
well to look closely at the publication “Suikoden goketsu hyakuhachinin no
hitori” (The 108 heroes of the popular Suikoden all told). This publication,
printed by Japanese woodblock artist Kuniyoshi in the early 1820s was one of the
building blocks upon which many of the traditional Japanese tattoos were based.
Many of the characters represented in this series of prints were heavily tattooed
such as “Kumonryu”
*************************<Picture page 52 tats of floating world>
In this illustration from Kuniyoshi’s prints, Kumonryu Shishin pins an enemy to
the ground with his right foot as he clubs him to death with a bamboo pole.
Beneath him two more heads are visible between his feet. The body of
Kumonryu is colourfully and heavily adorned with Japanese dragon tattoos.
Kumonryu Shishin was possibly one of the most popular of the “108 heroes of
the Suikoden”. His story is of courage and strength. Born the son of a wealthy
landowner, he eschewed his wealthy upbringing to become an Otokodate
(bandits) who stood in defiance of corrupt officials and greedy landowners. The
exploits of the Otokodate ensured that their actions made them heroes among the
lower classes. The translation of Kumonryu’s name, “Nine-Dragoned” ties in
well with his characters’ impressive tattoos.
In the second illustration, that of Horiyoshi III’s depiction of Kumonryu Shishin,
it is clear that the design has links with the original woodblock print of
Kuniyoshi. However, it is clear that the use of the illustration has been extracted
specifically
and
as
a
direct
source
for
the design
of
a tattoo.
*********************************picture 2 pg 53 tat float world
This publication has influenced tattooists to the present day and no more so than
with regard to the work of Horiyoshi III (mentioned earlier), arguably one of
Japan’s best-known tattooists. He has created vast numbers of illustrations
drawing from those influences of the Edo period especially with regard to colour,
style and in some cases subject matter.
Many of the stories told by Kuniyoshi in his Suikoden tales, link the tattoo
strongly with the subject of courage and, unsurprisingly, directly influenced the
increased popularity of receiving tattoo work. A number of the characters
immortalized in his series of prints wore many tattoos that influenced many of
the young Japanese men who felt empowered by their tales of gallantry and
bravery. Many of these young men, by undergoing the ritual of being tattooed,
would also have to suffer considerable pain in order to have the work done.
Through undertaking this “right of passage”, they could feel a heightened sense
of kinship with their heroes. Not all of these young men were, however, fully
conversant with the heroes whose kinship they sought to adopt. Many of these
heroes met unfortunate and undesirable ends. Kuniyoshi’s print of Rorihakucho
Chojun illustrates this. Carrying his sword in his teeth and surrounded by the
flying arrows that would eventually lead to his grisly demise, Rorihakucho is
represented seemingly to have no fear of death and it is this fearlessness that
would capture the imagination of these young men. Likewise many of the other
subjects in Kuniyoshi’s prints would suffer the same harsh fate. Kinsoshu Jonei
and Sobikatsu Kaiho would also fall victim to arrow wounds, and many others
struck down with a vivid variety of equally unpalatable ends, being poisoned,
stabbed or crushed to their deaths. It was not death itself that inspired the young
however, it was their fearlessness in facing death which was their glory. One did
not have to die to be a hero and in receiving tattoos of their exploits, many men
felt a bond with their hero’s power and bravery rather than their expression of a
desire to share a common fate. This is clearly an early manifestation of the
separation between the person being tattooed and the subject on whom the tattoo
was executed that continues into modern day.
*********************
pictures
34-35
tat
float
world*******************8
Much like the pervasion of the image of Dragons in both Japanese tattooing and
in Japan’s core mythology, popular subjects that share many of their
characteristics are expressed through illustrations of the gods, Fujin and Raijin.
Raijin is the god of Thunder and Lightning while Fujin is the representation of
the god of Wind. These two gods are mostly portrayed in drawings and prints as
demons or “Oni” and are both worshipped for their creation of the rain that the
farmers rely for the success of their crops and livelihoods. They are, however,
also feared for their creation of Storms. Although depicted and feared as demons,
this paradox results in their neither being regarded as good nor evil and are often
paired together in illustrations.
*****************pictures pg 68 and 70
A more benign subject that features very prominently in Japanese tattooing
design is the Koi Carp. Said to have originated in China, the carp is most often
depicted swimming upstream. (Perhaps a subtle reference to a perceived
alternative life in the wild?) In legend, the carp that pass through the Dragon
Gate will transform into Dragons and will subsequently live eternally happy
lives. The Koi Carp therefore, has taken on the suggestion of endurance, bravery
and, ultimately, power. Although the symbol of the carp is male in its sexuality,
two entwined carp are thought to symbolize “love”. (This could lead to a later
discussion on a comparison between Japanese symbolism and “Platonic” love.
Not in this essay, however.) The translation of the word “Koi” is “love”.
********** picture page 97-9********
Right up to the present day the traditional Japanese tattooing community is,
on the whole, an immensely private one. The display of a person’s tattoos in
public is sometimes discouraged as the very nature of the Japanese tattoo still
reflects an uncertain relationship with Japanese historical laws. Such is this
troubled past with the government that throughout a number of periods tattooing
has endured considerable legal constraint. These anti tattoo actions lead to the
already distinctly private process of tattooing being pushed further into an even
deeper culture of secrecy. This has to an extent remained right up until the
present day.
In an interesting and somewhat ironic twist, the government itself began to tattoo
criminals during the Kambun and Tenna periods and by this means condemned
criminals to a life’s identity and association with their crimes. These tattoos were
used as a permanent blemish not only on the individual’s skin but also on their
character. The punishment marks themselves, were often placed on specific parts
of the body making it easy to identify the person as a criminal. There are
instances known in which criminals, in order to obscure the distinguishing
marks, would have vibrant and colorful images tattooed over these areas.
Because of its clear association with the criminal classes, both in past history and
up to the present day, artists and clients in Japan remain very keen to break down
the stigma that has attached itself to tattooing and, although this aspiration still
remains to this day, it only enjoys variable success. Social acceptance of tattoos
remains variable and many societies, not least our own, still associates the tattoo
with, if not criminality, then at least class divisions.
As a direct result of this and indicative of their remaining sensitivity to this, many
genuine tattoo collectors deliberately left areas such as their inner upper arms
and down the centre of the chest unadorned with tattoos as proof that their tattoos
were not there as a mark of an obscured criminal past. Their attempt at the
reconciliation of the class issue was and remains less easy to achieve.
There are clear distinguishing differences between a chosen and a forced tattoo.
Japanese film director, Hideo Gosha wrote of tattooing,
“Horimono, (Artistic Tattoos), are a ‘living traditional art in Japan’
and should not be confused with Irezumi (Tattoos as punishment).
Irezumi is a carved seal which officials tattooed on criminals as
punishment and evokes the image of an ex convict. Horimono too
consists of the injection of inks into the skin, but is a decorative
luxury performed on the human skin voluntarily, a pure painting,
of which one is proud of for life.”
CITE REFERENCE!!! It’s a good quote!!
Gosha H. (2009) Fred Blog’s book of practical tattoos.
Dundee: Blogsown Press
Although this action by the government wasn’t primarily instigated to damage
the reputation of tattooing as such, its use for this purpose deeply damaged the
reputation of tattooing as an art form and the stigma attaching itself to a tattooed
individual has only began to disappear relatively recently. There soon followed a
more direct attack upon those tattooing and being tattooed.
These were a series of laws and rules put into place in an attempt to wipe out the
use of tattooing altogether. A reforming series of laws that were passed in 1789
aimed to outlaw tattooing but this did not appear to last for long. Tattooing in
Japan saw another period of prosperity, as in 1801 a new government began its
rule and the laws previously set became less strict. However, less than 10 years
after this, and in response to the widely renewed interest and largely increased
tattoos on show, the ruling government once again passed laws to ban and outlaw
tattooing. Unlike the earlier attempt to block tattooing, laws had been passed to
attempt to encourage people to distance themselves from the practice, these new
laws were far more strict and the passing of them declared the art of Japanese
tattooing illegal. Not only did this ban the clients wishing to be tattooed from
receiving these works of art, but known tattooists were branded as criminal and
many studios of practicing tattoo masters were raided, ransacked and destroyed.
Despite all the damage that this act placed upon the tattooing community, their
longevity proved to be similarly short-lived and newer, less strict rules were once
again brought into being later in the same government’s rule.
Under the Meiji government, tattooing once again became a criminal activity.
The main effort behind these attempts to destroy tattooing at this time came from
the government’s increasing attempts to bring the Japanese culture and society
into closer alignment with the western world. However, contrary to their
expectations, the means they had chosen to bring this about proved counter to the
perception of those westerners they sought to impress. Many of the westerners
that the Japanese government aimed to impress with a more “presentable”
Japanese culture, were delighted by, and interested in, the work of Japanese
tattooing and also in the artists producing these works of art, forcing them once
again to re-evaluate their position with regard to tattooing.
Among the most influential ambassadors of the tattooist’s art were those who
worked at sea. Many sailors and travelers became the pioneers of the Japanese
tattoo, carrying examples, literally, to far reaching countries where they began to
feed the world’s increasing interest in these beautiful and delicately worked
designs. These interests even reached to such members of high society as the
Prince of Russia, Nikolai II and Britain’s King George V who famously had
tattoo master, Hori Chyo, design a Japanese Dragon on his forearm. This interest
from wealthy westerners led to the Japanese government’s agreement that
Japanese tattooists should be allowed to tattoo visiting foreigners. Although the
government in power was now letting tattoo masters practice their work upon
westerners, it did not extend this right to the Japanese populace and it remained
illegal for a Japanese person to receive any tattoo work at this time. Although
these laws were in place, however, it did not stop the Japanese from receiving
tattoos. It did lead to the already strong bond between master and client
becoming ever stronger as it became their shared responsibility to keep their
shared practice from discovery. This is perhaps one of the reasons that the
Japanese tattoo managed to outlive the laws that tried to eradicate it, and is
testament to the skill and beauty of the works themselves that no matter the
punishment for receiving these tattoos, both master and client continued to
collaborate to create these masterpieces.
It was only very recently, in the aftermath of the second world war, that in 1948
the government finally lifted the banning of the Japanese tattoo allowing the
mainstream Japanese public access to receive tattoos legitimately.
Even though the laws against tattoos had been lifted they still came under heavy
fire from the police. This was due to the popularity of tattoos within the Japanese
“mob” or “Yakuza”, and anyone publicly displaying tattoos whether they had
any links to the Yakuza or not, were often questioned and harassed by the police.
Full bodysuits or large-scale tattoos were, and still are, commonplace among the
Yakuza mobs’ members and even now create a sense of unease among many
Japanese people.
David E Kaplan and Andrew Marshall describe such a work as follows.
“A brilliant tattoo stretched from his neck to his calf, the classic mark of
a Japanese Yakuza, or mobster. Simply rolling up his sleeve and baring
part of the design was enough to get trucks moved, doors opened, and
bills paid.”
CITE REFERENCE
An interesting element in Japanese tattoo is the continuation of tradition, not only
in the style of the work, but the entire processes behind giving and receiving
these tattoos. Where new techniques, styles and tools are constantly being added
to and changed within western tattooing, much of the original craft behind the
Japanese masters remains unchanged. As within most periods of learning within
a studio, an apprentice must go through a long and arduous process of menial
tasks and skill learning before he or she even picks up a tool. In a western studio
the apprentice often will become the shop’s “dogs body” set to cleaning surfaces
and machines, organizing the other artist’s tools, inks and other such tasks, in this
way pledging themselves to work in the studio. A Japanese apprentice however,
being taught in the traditional style, will often only sit and observe their master at
work, watching and learning through watching, not necessarily being formally
instructed in any particular technique or skill in which he or she must, as time
goes by, become familiar and accomplished. The apprentice would then be put to
work producing the master’s inks, grinding pigments for their Sensei (master).
The object of these tasks is similar to that of the western apprentice in that the
master must feel that his apprentice has “paid his dues” and must feel that a bond
with his pupil has been established before they may progress to the next stage of
their work. This process of observation and working may continue for years
before they are allowed to even begin to tattoo. The relationship between master
and student remains complex and may not always end happily. On his website,
(http://www.ne.jp/asahi/tattoo/horiyoshi3/), Horiyoshi 3 publically disowns an
apprentice with whom he claims a “difference of opinion”. (It is gratifying to
note that traditional tattooists are also pragmatic about the use of technology).
Even though much of the nature of what is undertaken in a Japanese master’s
studio bears on a long tradition, artists continue to work and teach in their own
particular style as their masters before them. In current Japanese tattooing there
are still those masters of the art who are considered by their peers to be
outstanding. Such a well-known and highly respected Japanese Sensei is Kazuo
Oguri, otherwise known by his tattoo name as, Horihide.
Even as a modern practitioner, Horihide pays close attention to the values of
tradition within his work and is a specialist in the style of the Edo period. He
works piece by piece on his tattoos, creating each section of the work a small
fraction at a time. He starts each small section by inking freehand straight onto
the skin of his client, creating an outline that he will then tattoo. By this means
the design grows very slowly being extended and developed over time until the
whole design is outlined on the body. He produces no drawings beforehand from
which to work but instead, relies upon his ability to read and analyze the body
and visualizes the way in which the tattoo will fit over and wrap around the
subject’s skin. This is testament not only to his skill, but even more so, to the
confidence in his own abilities that only a true master can possess.
<Picture
It is indeed an enormous testament to the skills and the beauty of the designs
produced by the artists and designers of the Edo period that not only were their
works recognized and revered during their own time, but also that it has
remained a constant and even growing inspiration to many modern tattoo
practitioners. In addition to establishing a position for themselves in the forefront
of the Japanese tattooing community, many artists such as Kuniyoshi, the
designer behind the prints of “The 108 heroes of the popular Suikoden all told”,
have ensured themselves an eternal place in the history of Japanese art. Their
work paved the way for generations of tattoo masters who in their own ways
carried on the legacy of the true Japanese tattoo. Throughout the years changes
have obviously occurred. As each different individual tattooist’s own style
establishes a vocabulary of images unique to them, the influences on them of
Japanese tattooing history remains manifest. Any high street (it is no longer just a
“backstreet” activity) boasting a tattoo parlour, will offer a wide selection of
designs to potential customers. Despite its origins in the 19 th Century, designs
such as the Japanese Dragon apparently remains available and popular. Despite
successive Japanese governments’ efforts to ban or completely obliterate the
tattoo community throughout Japanese history, these efforts have actually proved
to be counter-productive. Although their efforts created difficulties for practicing
masters and their clients throughout history, they also contributed to creating the
incredible strength and subsequent endurance that Japan’s tattooing community
still holds. The fact that the trade, although driven effectively “underground” still
continued to flourish behind closed doors, helped to consolidate the strength of
the bond between master and client allowing Japan’s tattooing culture to retain
its entirely unique style.
It is a major attribute of Japanese tattooing that although other cultures have
continued to look to Japan for inspiration, the imagery within Japanese tattooing
has remained largely indifferent to outside influences. Its journey from the
studios of the Japanese masters can be traced to all over the world. Western
cultures have embraced many of Japan’s tattoo designs, the Dragon, Koi carp and
Tiger to name but a few. In present times masters of tattoo such as Horikin and
Horiyoshi I, II and III have continued their trade as they were taught by their
masters, and their masters before them and they have left their mark in not only
Japanese tattooing history, but thanks to the world’s increasing interest in
tattooing as an art form, they have allowed the public the opportunity to share in
the beauty of the traditional Japanese tattoo. To many, a tattoo must have a
personal connection with themselves, whether as a mark of belonging or a pledge
to something so important to them that they feel the desire to have the design
permanently marked on their skin. This of course is not the case in everybody’s
“quest for ink”. Many decide upon a beautiful intricate, colorful, permanent
piece of art to wear in order to use its beauty as a means of enhancing their own.
Many undertake the journey as a means of keeping a record of a life’s trials and
tribulations, some simply to challenge an authority, whether government or
perhaps parent and this may be the reason for the amount of westerners who have
chosen Japanese tattoo designs for themselves. For many they represent
participation in the fantasy that is an alternative construct of their own world.
Japan’s pre-eminence in satisfying the needs of western aspirations for wealth
and ownership whether in cars, motorcycles or indeed almost all areas of this
technological world may invite us also to acquire some of its history. Many of
these wearers will not know or fully understand the true meanings or reason why
these designs were created or even their origins in Japanese culture, but this
knowledge need not be a prerequisite to ownership. (How many of us who own
computers actually know anything about how they work?) Wearing a tattoo
infers membership of a notional fraternity. A design carried on a person’s skin
bearing enigmatic, personal symbols declares that membership and invites
interest whether as a co-member or a bewildered viewer. Whether spoken or
merely glanced at, the interest marks the boundary at which relationships are
defined, creatively or possibly destructively. During the Twentieth Century,
Japan grew into a technological and industrial super-power but its cultural roots
run deep whether in lifestyle, sciences or arts. It has become an icon of 20 th
Century growth, power and zeal. The early years of the century knew Japan only
as a cultural entity and was much admired for it. The second half of the century
saw their rise in manufacturing based to some extent on its ability to reproduce
western products at highly competitive prices.
It is interesting to note here a possible, cultural vindication for this. Mingei
theory for example not only challenges the virtue of “individual originality”, it
sees it as even having “a somewhat despicable quality”. Kikutchi Y. (2004)
Japanese Modernism and Mingei Theory. Cultural nationalism and Oriental
Orientalism. Oxford: RoutlegeCurzon.
Copying was not about flattery, sincere or otherwise, it was an affirmation of its
quality.
This was, however, swept aside after world war 2 when it suddenly became not
only a manufacturer of other people’s designs, but an energetic innovator in its
own right. The eyes of the rapidly rising new consumers of the 1950s and 60s
were firmly drawn to Japan. Japanese designers, unlike many in the west, were
interested not only in design as aesthetic; they made products that people actually
wanted! As designers they once again sought, as they had done historically, to
establish a relationship between artist and “consumer” and did this with
extraordinary success. Designers such as Ikko Tanaka looked to the modern
Japan but his work still reflected his historical debt. His profile in Art+Culture
states that,
“While he understood their drive to meld traditional Japanese
aesthetics with Modernist influences, he (Tanaka) wasn't trapped
under a nation's expectations for success. With nothing to prove,
Tanaka was free to experiment with color and form.”
www.artandculture.com (2010)
Japanese tattoo designs must be considered not merely in terms of aesthetics. The
tattoo plays its part in the complex interplay between culture, history and its use
in the expression of personal aspirations. The ability of tattooing to express all of
these assures its place as a vital force in art worldwide.