Wabori is different from other tattoos that use Japanese imagery. It is a tradition, like calligraphy or poetry, with its own rules. Wabori uses unambiguous, colorful, striking images of dragons and tigers, among other traditional symbols, to convey meaning in the context of Japanese mythology, folklore, and art. But it's not enough for a tattoo to be about Japan; it must also follow the rules of the tradition.
The first rule is that wabori should be large. A dragon or tiger needs to cover a broad area of skin, or an entire body part, so that you can see it all at once. It needs to have bright, richly detailed colors. The design should be clean, pure.
Background and composition
Second, there must be a background. Or, as one practitioner put it, “There is no such thing as a backgroundless piece.” Backgrounds are essential to making a traditional Japanese tattoo authentic. They’re not just a decorative flourish; they are a key element of the composition. In Japanese aesthetics, negative space is known as ma, which means both "space" and "entity." Ma is not empty space but a place where something happens. In this case, the background is the space where the dragon or tiger exists.
Clean designBut if a background is essential, then what about those traditional Japanese tattoos that don’t have one? They exist, and they have their own name. There’s another tradition called hannya, after the hannya mask used in kabuki theater. The hannya mask is a red face with white stripes, and it represents a female demon who is angry and lustful. Hannya tattoos are usually smaller than wabori tattoos and often include patterns rather than animals.
Symbolism and history
Third, the designs have to make sense. They need to be recognizable as either a dragon (ryu) or a tiger (tora). They need to incorporate the symbolic meanings of these creatures. Dragons symbolize wisdom, strength, power, and protection against evil. Tigers represent courage, strength, good luck, and ward off evil and illness. These creatures are central to Japanese mythology and folklore, and their placement in a traditional design conveys meaning.
Fourth, the tattoos are historical. The tradition was outlawed in Japan in the 1800s, and it thrived underground. That history makes it illegal for anyone to practice it in Japan today. So while Westerners might take pride in getting a dragon or tiger tattoo, many Japanese people still think of them as associated with criminality. Many bathhouses and gyms in Japan prohibit visibly tattooed people.
The beauty of the tradition is that it requires the artist to create a composition that has both form and meaning, and that demands attention to detail.