Check the Tattooist
Outside of Japan, many tattooers will not know how to read and write kanji. Each kanji character has a set stroke order, which typically goes from top to bottom, moving left to right. Things like how the kanji are balanced visually are key. The characters are not written willy-nilly! Japanese calligraphy, or shodo (書道) requires years to master the written language’s emotive and beautiful strokes. That being said, some kanji characters are difficult for native speakers to write, and even some Japanese tattooists are not confident enough in their own calligraphy to work freehand, preferring to work from templates, or fonts. A talented tattooist, whether he or she understands Japanese or not, will be able to render even the most complex character if working from correct reference material. While, in the least smarmy way possible, it’s not a bad idea to ask the tattooist if he or she can write Japanese, perhaps the best thing is to look at work that the tattooist has done or bring in accurate reference material for your tattoo.
3. Remember, a Kanji Tattoo Is Not Just a “Design”
Keep in mind that people who know Japanese might see your tattoo. While a tattoo of a samurai with “samurai” (侍) written in Japanese characters might sound cool, be aware that it is akin to getting a skull inked with “skull” written below it in English. Something like bushido (武士道, “way of the samurai”) might be a better choice. When selecting a phrase, try to think of how you would feel if saw someone with an English tattoo that read “Water” or “Fire.” Simple words or adjectives might look odd to Japanese, who tend to get either mottoes, names, or prayers inked on their bodies (see examples on page 15).
4. Don’t Use Machine Translations
While translation software continues to be important, and may be handy for giving you a vague idea of what you are reading on a Japanese website, it isn’t perfect. Idiomatic expressions and nuance get lost in translation, and you’ll end up like the guy who wanted a tattoo of “freedom” in Japanese, but ended up with 無 料 (muryou, or “free of charge”). And yes, he paid for that tattoo.
5. Do Your Research
You are getting a Japanese script tattoo, so how about hitting up your local library? Or bookstore? Or looking online? Or checking with someone who knows Japanese? Sure, while acting on impulse is fun—and is certainly part of the Western tradition—foreign-language tattoos should have a tad more preparation, understanding, and context. For example, it might seem cool to get a tattoo that says “ronin” (浪人, a masterless samurai), but realize that today, the word also refers to students who didn’t pass their university examinations.
Jihi (慈悲) is translated as “mercy,” “compassion,” or “benevolence.” Both kanji contain kokoro (心, “heart”), underscoring the word’s intrinsic meaning while also making for a balanced set of characters.
Chouetsu (超越) is “transcendence.”
Itaidoushin (異体同心) is often translated as “same mind, different body.”
Against this backdrop, a declaration of fidelity was important for both the client and the courtesan—for the client, it could mean bragging rights; for the courtesan, it could be a way to string a customer along. A love pledge sealed in blood, or even a lock of the woman’s hair or her clipped fingernail were most common, but among the lower-class courtesans, there were stories of working girls cutting off a finger for a lover or a client. Today, finger-cutting to make up for mistakes is part of yakuza lore, and there is even a Japanese children’s equivalent of the pledge “Cross my heart, hope to die” that involves chopping off fingers! However, the ultimate declaration of permanent love was a tattoo. It was a way for clients to leave their mark—literally.
Ancient Bonji Characters
Esoteric Buddhist Calligraphic Writing
Originally from North India, bonji are ancient calligraphic characters that are used to write Buddhist mantras in Sanskrit; they were influential in the development of hiragana and katakana in Japan. Bonji characters have mystic powers and continue to appear in esoteric Buddhism, most notably Japan’s Shingon (“True Word”) sect. In tattooing, bonji irezumi for the zodiac animal of the year in which one was born are common.
Birth-year bonji are common irezumi motifs.
Bonji can be found throughout Mount Koya, a sacred site located outside Osaka. Since the ninth century, the area has been the center of esoteric Japanese Buddhism.
The decorative tattoos that increasingly began to appear by the late 1600s weren’t yet the elaborate pictorial designs of flowers and fauna Japan has become famous for, but vows and pledges. Moreover, the early pleasure-quarter tattoos weren’t done by artists, but rather by the courtesans themselves or their prized clients. These early tattoos were abstract, and would later evolve into written words and phrases.
First appearing in the pleasure quarters of Osaka and Kyoto, irebokuro (入れ黒子, literally, “inserted moles”) were dots tattooed above the thumb on top of the hand. When that tattooed hand clasped another tattooed hand, the matching dots would interlock, creating a romantic way to hold hands—a secret proof of devotion in an age when marriages were not always for love, and passion was found elsewhere. And there was one courtesan who got an array of dots on her elbow—the same number as her lover’s age. (No word on whether or not she updated the tattoo on an annual basis, though!) Then there was one courtesan who figured out that perhaps letting a customer write his name on your shoulder was bad for business, and supposedly had her customers’ names inked between her fingers instead. There were also courtesans who tattooed moles or beauty marks on their faces, as well as replacing their eyebrows with ink in an early form of permanent makeup. In Osaka and Kyoto, irebokuro were widespread enough among the courtesan subculture that the term itself was used to refer to all tattoos.
Kanji tattoo designs can also be made to look like the carved stamps people use as official seals.
This piece is based on an ancient style of kanji that isn’t used as writing in modern Japan.
Out of all the bonji, this character appears twice on the Chinese zodiac calendar and represents three birth years: The Year of the Rat, the Year of the Pig, and the Year of the Dog.
Many Japanese families have their own coat of arms. Here, a family crest represented by a pair of oak leaves is embellished with expressive brush strokes.
Other examples of vow tattoos (起 請彫り, kishoubori) include clients writing their names on the courtesan’s shoulder or thigh
