Irezumi is the Japanese word that refers to insertion of ink under the skin that leaves a permanenent mark. Irezumi means ‘tattooing’ in other words.Although there are many ways to write the word irezumi it is most commonly written as Chinese characters which literally means ‘insert ink’. The Japanese people were thought to use tattoos for both spiritual and decorative purposes and extends back to the Jomon period (~10000 BCE).

At the beginning of the Meiji period the Japanese government, wanting to protect its image and make a good impression on the West, outlawed tattoos, and irezumi took on connotations of criminality. Nevertheless, fascinated foreigners went to Japan seeking the skills of tattoo artists, and traditional tattooing continued underground.

Althought tattoing in Japan was legalized by the occupation forces in 1945, unfortunately it has retained an image of criminality. Traditional Japanese tattoos are often associated with the Japanese notorious mafia known as ‘Yakuza’. Many places in Japan such as public baths, spas and fitness centers still ban customers with tattoos.

In Japan traditional irezumi is still done by specialist tattooists, but is a painful, time-consuming and expensive process. A typical traditional body suit (tattoos that cover the arms, back, upper legs and chest, but leaving an untattooed space down the center of the body) can take 1-5 years of once-per-week visits to complete and cost more than US$30,000.

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