Japanese tattoo art is gaining immense popularity in the recent times. Their amazing and unique tattoo designs have made them the preferred choice of many tattoo fans.
Over the years, Japanese tattoo designs have become very popular among the tattoo enthusiasts all across the globe. Generally these tattoos are called irezumi in Japanese which means insertion of ink in the skin to leave a permanent mark. Tattoos are an old concept in Japan. The indigenous people of Japan used tattoos for decorative and social purposes. However, a tattoo in Japan is also associated with the symbol of a yakuza (Japanese mafia) that is perceived negatively by the people.
There are basically three sets of Japanese characters – hiragana, katakana and kanji that are used in tattoo art. Each set has its own history, function and style. Hiragana comprises simple, rounded character, representing sound but with no independent meaning, Katakana comprises simple, angular characters with no independent meaning and Kanji represents characters that have definite meaning and are most popular. Once you are aware of these different styles you can opt for the one that suits your preference.
Among all the Japanese tattoo designs the Kanji style tattoos and the animal tattoos are most popular. Kanji tattoos comprise calligraphic letter writing of the Japanese. It usually depicts marvelous curved letters, depicting thousands of words. Some of the words that are highly and commonly preferred by the tattoo fans include ‘love’, ‘loyalty’, ‘happiness’, ‘duty’ and many more.
Japanese tattoos are mostly done on the upper arms, legs, chest and shoulders and even on the palm of the hand. Usually these designs take few sittings and long hours and hence it is suitable for those who are ready to devote much of their time for this body art patiently. Moreover, to get it right you also need to hire a professional translator who could pick out the perfect character combination for you, thus escalating your tattooing cost.
Some popular Japanese Tattoo Designs
Koi fish tattoo: It is a beautiful tattoo design that is associated with good luck, strength and power. It is usually very colorful and is often combined with a complementary background like splashing water. Fascinating design coupled with good symbolism makes Koi fish tattoo a preferred choice of many tattoo enthusiasts.
Cherry Blossom tattoo: It is the other common and preferred Japanese tattoo design that depicts beautiful flowers. This design inter-relates beauty with life. The design is a powerful reminder to the people to make their life beautiful and lovely.
There are several other Japanese tattoo designs that include
- Animal images like horse, dragons, ox, birds etc
- Human figures depicting masked men, warriors, ancient deities, young ladies etc
- Landscapes and architectural beauties like scenic landscape, temples etc
