The history of the Japanese bodysuit tattoos has been very interesting and there are a lot of amazing things to know about Japanese tattoos and this art form has been very popular for a very long time. In this article, you will get to know about the history of Japanese bodysuit tattoo and the meaning of traditional Japanese tattoos. So if you are want to know some interesting things about tattoo bodysuit, then keep reading the article. So without wasting any time let’s hop the main deal.
There are many styles in tattoo art and Japanese tattoo is called irezumi and it is one of the most popular. Japanese tattoo is an important part of the Japanese culture and one of the great things about irezumi is that the images used in the tattoos have a meaning and a purpose. These meanings and purposes are the major factors in increasing the appeal of this art to people from different cultures also helped in adding depth to the art form.
There are some things that everyone who is thinking of getting irezumi should know. As we mentioned, Japanese tattoo has different meanings so it better to know the meanings properly to understand it better, before inking it in your body. Before going deep into the meaning of traditional tattoos, you have to know about the history of Japanese tattoos.
Brief History of Japanese Tattoos
In ancient times, people started tattooing their bodies to show their status and other beliefs. They are also used to convey different spiritual symbols and to portray their devotion. As time passed, it became a form of punishment and war prisoners, criminals, and slaves used to get tattooed, to give an identification in the society that make them recognizable.
This tradition lasted for some time but then soon irezumi became a way to convey the status and very rich people used irezumi to show off their wealth and power. Then at the time of world war, to improve the image of Japan, the emperor of Japan banned and outlawed tattoos but the people from other nations still making the tattoos and this helped the Japanese Tattoo artists and keeping irezumi alive.
It is also said that the modern association of Japanese tattoos and criminal element resulted in the adoption of tattoos by the Japanese mafia, Yakuza. This helped in the promotion of irezumi in the same way as American tattoos. Nowadays, irezumi has become very popular and people wear Japanese tattoos because of the amazing artistic designs. Another reason that irezumi is getting popular is the different meanings that are associated with tattoos. So down below is a list of different traditional designs and their meaning.
Traditional Tattoos and their Meanings
1- Koi Tattoos
The meaning of koi tattoos is the strength, courage determination, water and desire for success. The koi word comes from the fish named koi and it is used because masculine qualities like courage and power are given to Koi. There is a yellow river in China and koi swims upstream on that river and only a few fishes swim past Dragon’s gate. It is said that koi who swim past dragon’s gate turns into a dragon as a reward, and this the reason why masculine qualities are given to koi.
2- Lion or Fu Dog Tattoos
The meaning of this tattoo is strong, protective, good luck, heroism and courageous. This tattoo resembles both as a lion and a dog. In simple words, it is a lion with pointed ears. The reason why it’s meaning is brave and courageous because Fu dogs are brave and courageous. There is also statues of fu dogs and it is believed by the people that they keep the evil powers away and protects everyone and that is why fu dog tattoos indicate a person who is brave, courageous and has heroic aspiration.
3- Japanese Skull Tattoo
The meaning of Japanese skull tattoo is change, life, death, reverence of ancestors. This tattoo has a unique a strange meaning because commonly the image of the skull is considered as negative and often believed that they are related to evil powers, but according to Japanese culture and tradition, the image of the skull has a positive connotation and represents life cycle. There is no greater change anyone can experience other than death and that’s why the skull represents change.
4- Japanese Dragon Tattoo
The meaning of this tattoo is strength, wisdom, wind, water, and force for good. Dragons are very powerful creatures and very destructive too but it is also believed that dragons are great guardians. They are a symbol of strength and wealth in the West but the beliefs in the East and Japan are different. The dragons in the tattoos are considered generous and it is believed that they use their strength and power to do good deeds and help mankind. This is the reason why the dragon tattoos are very popular and on one of the most loved ones.
5- Tiger Tattoos
The meaning of the tiger tattoo is courage, power, and protector against bad luck, diseases, and evil spirits. It is believed that the tiger is one of the four sacred animals and as the attributes of a real tiger, the tiger tattoo also represents power and courage. Another thing that tiger tattoo is a long life. It is said that the tiger tattoo keeps the disease, bad luck, and evil spirits away and it is a symbol for north and autumn.
6- Water Wave Tattoo
The meaning of this tattoo is fluidity, life, strength, and movement. This is one of the common tattoos and water is featured in most of the tattoos and waves are generally the most recognizable in any tattoo. It is believed that water is a symbol of strength and life. The belief that water tattoo is that life is like water, flows, and ebbs, is strong and can be gentle and calm when necessary.
7- Japanese Snake Tattoo
The meaning of this tattoo is change, good luck, protection, and strength. Snakes tattoos represent a lot of things. One of the main things that a snake tattoo represents is the protection from sickness, evil, bad luck. There are also other meanings and attributes of the snake tattoo. They represent protection from the results of bad choices and decisions and also represent wisdom. It is also believed that snakes are a sign of good luck and bring fortune.
8- Oni Mask Tattoo
The meaning of oni mask tattoo is protectors, demons, tricksters, good and evil. It is also known as oni and oni mask. This is one of the common tattoos and this tattoo indicates the belief in the world of spirts where the evil, bad and unjust are punished by the demons and this is the main role of the demons in that spirit world. Many onis are evil but some of the onis are also a protector from evil. There are many instances for this, one of them is a story of a monk, who becomes an oni to protect his temple.
Ogre or troll is the best-translated words for oni, and yokai is the word for the demon in Japanese. There is also a tattoo similar to the oni mask tattoo which is hannya tattoo, the only difference between them is that oni mask is representative of a male demon and hannya is a female representative.
You can choose according to your choice but make sure you choose a good bodysuit tattoo artist to get the perfect tattoo. So after covering the meanings of different tattoos, it is time to move to some facts about
Japanese tattoos and the growing trend of this art. So here are some facts:
1- Irezumi Word Can Also be Read as Shisei
One of the strange facts is that word irezumi words can also be called as shisei. There was a novelist named Junichirou Tanizaki and it is one of her novels, in which a man tattoos a female spider on a woman with the most perfect skin. The novel went so popular irezumi were as read as shisie.
2- Tattoos Were a Punishment to Criminals in the Edo Period.
As mentioned above, tattoos once became a form of punishment and the crime is tattooed in the criminal’s body to let everyone know and it was a way to differentiate the normal citizens from the criminals.
The tattoo industry is getting bigger and growing day by day. One of the main reasons why this art form is becoming so popular because different designs remind us about our strengths, power and give us courage. Nowadays tattoos are worn by many famous personalities and now tattoos are considered as self-expression.
Conclusion
So these were different traditional Japanese tattoos and their meaning. From ancient times, tattoos have an important role in the life of Japanese people and now it has become even more popular. Now the tattoo artists create different designs by taking inspiration from the traditional ones. Hope this article will give you useful information regarding the Japanese body suit tattoo.
