12th November 2021
There are many different names for tattooing in Japanese 彫り物 (horimono) – carving, 刺青 (shisei) – blue piercing, 分身 (bunshin) – body decoration, 入れ墨 (irezumi) – inserting ink , 和彫り (wabori）- Japanese carving and the English word ’tattoo’, written タトゥー (tatū). There are probably more but you’ll understand that tattoos have been part of the culture at times in the past!
Some of the tribes people in the Jomon period about 1,500 (fifteen hundred years ago) had elaborate1 body markings, similar to native people in other places such as Polynesia and South America and other places and the Ainu continued to have body markings and tattoos until recently. Many Ainu women had facial markings as part of their tribal culture.
The irony2 is that tattoos are much less part of the culture now than in most countries. Due to the effects of Buddhism after the Jomon period, having a tattoo was not accepted. During the Edo period, the city of Edo, which is now Tokyo, became full of people living close together in tough conditions, strictly controlled by the authorities3. For many people in the lower parts of society, both men and women, getting tattoos was one way to rebel4.
You occasionally hear about the tattoos of the firefighters at that time. They were often people who had been in trouble with the law5 and tattoos were a way to express themselves. They often had tattoos associated with6 water. General labourers and street gang members would have tattoos also, tattoos expressing energy and power. Women who entertained men for money also had tattoos, as would their customers sometimes. These tattoos were more discreet7.
Many of the full body, very elaborate tattoos were said to be based on an old Chinese story called Suidoken which was a story about people rebelling against a bad government. A woodblock printer called Kuniyoshi Utagawa made prints based on this story in 1821 (eighteen twenty-one) and they became very popular and many men in the lower classes started to get tattoos based on these prints.
General society didn’t really accept tattoos though and during the Edo period the authorities started to tattoo people who had done crimes8. These tattoos were the ones more called 入れ墨 (irezumi) but it’s not so clear that irezumi was only for these tattoos given to people who had done crimes. Irezumi is often used as a general word for tattoos. It was often difficult for these people to get jobs after they had been given their tattoos for doing crimes and they would often join firefighting groups and then would get more elaborate tattoos.
The authorities tried to ban9 tattoos but clearly a lot of people had them. When the Meiji period started in 1868 (eighteen sixty-eight) the government enforced10 the law more but again things were not so clear. Some rich foreign customers came to Japan during that time to get the high quality Japanese tattoos, even although tattoos were banned. It seems it was ok for foreigners to get them.
After the Second World War the ban on tattoos was lifted11 but society still didn’t really accept them. The image for many years, often made stronger by movies in the 1960’s and 70’s (nineteen sixties and seventies) was that tattoos were associated with the Yakuza gangsters, who in some cases came from those firefighters or street gangs of the Edo period it is said.
The image of tattoos is changing a little though but not so much. There are less Yakuza now and less Yakuza have them. Tattoos are not officially12 banned but many 温泉 (onsen) that’s hot springs and swimming pools don’t accept people who have tattoos and it’s difficult to get many jobs if you have a tattoo. Your tattoo would have to be very discreet if you didn’t want trouble.
Tattoos aren’t illegal13. They are legal14. A tattoo artist who was fined15 for giving people tattoos without a medical license in 2017 (two thousand and seventeen) won a court16 case three years later that said he could give tattoos.
In some countries you may see some sports teams where it seems you have to have a tattoo to get in the team. In Japan, seeing a sports star with a tattoo would be very unusual. If sports stars started to get tattoos, some pictures here show a few tattoos that would match their teams.
2. an ‘irony’ / ‘ironic’
<Example sentences>
■ I couldn’t get a ticket for the concert but the irony is it was cancelled anyway.
■ She doesn’t like travelling, so it’s ironic she won a holiday to Hawaii in the lottery.
■ It’s ironic. My best test score was in the history test but I studied for the other tests much more.
7. discreet
<Example sentences>
■ I was discreet at the meeting. If I had spoken too much the situation would have got worse.
■ Look at that big, ugly building! It’s not discreet at all.
■ Being discreet and telling the truth are a little different.
9. to ‘ban’
<Example sentences>
■ Smoking is now banned in public places in many countries.
■ That school bans smartphones in the classroom.
■ He was banned from driving for one year because of drink driving.
■ The footballer was banned for three games after his red card.
■ She was banned from going out at night by her family after her bad test results.
10. to ‘enforce’
<Example sentences>
■ Motorcyclists have to wear gloves but the rule is not enforced.
■ The police are enforcing the 100 kilometre per hour speed limit more this year.
■ You are not allowed to stop here in your car but it’s something that is not really enforced.
14. legal
<Example sentences>
■ Cannabis is legal in some countries, for example Canada and Uruguay.
■ When is it legal to drink in your country?
16. a ‘court’
<Example sentences>
■ The worker took her company to court over her working hours.
■ Yesterday the newspaper lost in court.
■ The court case took four long years to be decided.
■ Do you ever see people with tattoos?
■ Is it your image that full body tattoos equals Yakuza?
■ Could you imagine yourself getting a tattoo?
■ Do you have a tattoo/?
■ Do you know people who have tattoos?
■ Are there any countries or places that you associate with tattoos?
- ‘elaborate’ means not simple, detailed.
- ‘irony’ means that something is the opposite of what you thought it would be and the ending to the situation is funny or surprising. Can be both positive and negative.
- the ‘authorities’ means the people who had the right, the power to control society.
- to ‘rebel’ means to fight against people or a system that you don’t think is fair.
- in this meaning ‘law’ means the rules of the country
- ‘associated with’ means connected to
- ‘discreet’ in this meaning means hidden, not noticeable, not showy. It has a positive meaning
- ‘crimes’ means actions that are against the law.
- to ‘ban’ something means something is not allowed any more.
- to ‘enforce’ a rule or law means to strongly try to make people follow that rule or law
- to ‘lift’ a ban or rule is to stop that ban or rule.
- ‘officially’ means something decided by the authorities. The decision is clear.
- ‘illegal’ means not allowed by the rules of the country.
- ‘legal’ means allowed by the rules of the country.
- to ‘fine’ someone is to make them pay money for doing something wrong.
- in this meaning ‘court’ means the place where legal fights are decided.