The Japanese words for tattooing are irezumi (入れ墨), which means “to insert ink,” and horimono (彫物), which means “to puncture an object.” The latter is also called wabori (和風), harimono (埋も), bunshin (文身), shisei (刺青), or gei (芸). The term horimono is little known outside Japan but is the one most often used by Japanese tattooists.
As Willem R. van Gulik wrote in his book on traditional Japanese tattoos, “Irezumi” and “horimono” were originally different things, but they have merged. The practitioner of either style is called a bunshinshi (文身師).
Horimono tattoos emphasize deep respect for their craft, and many tattoo artists learn from masters through years of apprenticeship.
Traditional Irezumi and Its Origins
Traditional Japanese tattoos are called irezumi, and they share many visual characteristics with ukiyo-e prints. Ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”) depict scenes from everyday life, such as warriors, beautiful women, kabuki actors, and natural elements, as well as stories from folklore, religion, and history.
Ukiyo-e prints emphasized bold flat colors, aerial perspective, and clear outlines that created a sense of space and motion. These images had a strong influence on Western art, including that of Monet and Van Gogh, and inspired Art Nouveau. But what makes them so striking is not just their clarity and boldness. It’s also the negative space, the empty space between the images, that gives the composition its rhythm and balance.
Clean designIn Japanese, this negative space is called ma, which does not mean “void,” but rather refers to an entity in itself. The artist plays with it, leaving empty spaces to suggest movement and emotion.
During the Edo period (1603–1868 CE) when these prints became popular, craftsmen began to copy them, creating a new style of tattooing. This was especially true of the Suikoden prints, which told the story of the Water Margin, a Chinese novel about outlaws who rose up against corruption and injustice. These prints appealed to working-class men who were unable to read and thus could enjoy the illustrations alone. The popularity of Kuniyoshi prints among these craftsmen led to the development of a new style of tattooing called horimono.
Kanda Choyukai was formed more than 140 years ago to protect the tradition of horimono. In Japan, where tattoos are considered taboo, the practice is closely guarded.
Bodysuit Conventions and Common Motifs
Traditionally, Japanese tattoos covered the entire body, except for a strip of untouched skin running from the collarbone down to the navel. That way, the tattoos would be hidden under the kimono, which reached down to the ankles. Most people today know only the sleeve or backpiece of a Japanese tattoo.
Traditional Japanese tattoos include images of folkloric figures and masks, Buddhist deities, famous samurai, tigers, snakes, and koi. Mythical creatures like dragons (Ryu), kirin, kitsune, baku, foo dogs, and phoenixes are also common. Ryu means dragon, but it is associated with wisdom, strength, and good fortune. Koi (carp) symbolize perseverance and determination, and their ability to swim upstream has made them symbols of success. Tigers represent strength and courage, and they can also serve as protectors. Natural elements—flowers, bamboo, wind bars (kaze), water, and waves—are also common.
Clean designNeo-Japanese and Application Methods
Neo-Japanese tattoos take the motifs of traditional Japanese tattoos and adapt them to a different palette and composition. They retain the depth and storytelling of traditional Japanese tattoos, but they use a broader range of color and shapes. While traditional Japanese tattoos used restrained blues, blacks, and reds, neo-Japanese tattoos use vibrant purples, greens, and yellows. And while traditional Japanese tattoos followed a structured composition, neo-Japanese tattoos flow across the body in fluid organic forms that follow the curves of the body and move with it.
Neo-Japanese tattoos also incorporate influences from Western styles. Flowing lines and geometric patterns reminiscent of Art Nouveau and Art Deco make their appearance.
Tattoos in Japan are traditionally applied by hand using a technique called tebori (手押し), literally “hand pressing.” A piece of wood is wrapped in cloth and then held against the skin while the tattooist taps the needle into the skin. This technique is still practiced by some horishi, or tattoo artists, and it is said to produce better results than machine tattooing.
But most tattoo artists now use machines, although they sometimes combine machine work with handwork. At State of Grace Tattoo in San Francisco, for example, Horitomo uses both methods. He calls the hand method gakubori, or “learning how to do it.”