page_title: Irezumi
section_title: Tattoos in modern Japan
hierarchical_section_title: Irezumi / Tattoos in modern Japan
caption_attribution_description: English: Yakuza showing off their tattoos and status at the Sanja Matsuri festival in Japan, 2007.
context_page_description: Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo, and refers to a distinctive style of Japanese tattooing, though it is also used as a blanket term to describe a number of tattoo styles originating in Japan, including tattooing traditions from both the Ainu people and the Ryukyuan Kingdom.
  All forms of irezumi are applied by hand, using wooden handles and metal needles attached via silk thread. This method also requires special ink known as Nara ink; tattooing practiced by both the Ainu people and the Ryukyuan people uses ink derived from the indigo plant. Irezumi is a painful and time-consuming process, practiced by a limited number of specialists known as horishi. Horishi typically have one or more apprentices working for them, whose apprenticeship can last for a long time period; historically, horishi were admired as figures of bravery and roguish sex appeal.
  At the beginning of the Meiji period, the Japanese government outlawed tattoos, and irezumi took on connotations of criminality and delinquency as a result, leading to considerable stigma against people with tattoos and tattooing in modern-day Japan.
context_section_description: Following the opening of Japan's borders to the rest of the world at the beginning of the Meiji period, the Japanese government, wishing to protect its image and make a good first impression in the face of its new international status, outlawed tattooing, with irezumi soon taking on connotations of criminality. Nevertheless, many foreigners, fascinated with the unique skills of Japanese tattoo artists, travelled to Japan with the express intention of being tattooed there, and traditional tattooing continued underground. 
  Tattooing was legalized by the occupation forces in 1948, but has retained its image of criminality. For many years, traditional Japanese tattoos were associated with the yakuza, Japan's notorious mafia, and many businesses in Japan (such as public baths, fitness centers and hot springs) still ban customers with tattoos.
  Although tattoos have gained popularity among the youth of Japan due to Western influence, tattoos continue to be stigmatised throughout most of Japan; unlike many other countries, even finding a tattoo shop in Japan can prove difficult, with tattoo shops primarily placed in areas that are very tourist- or US military-friendly. According to Kunihiro Shimada, the president of the Japan Tattoo Institute, there are an estimated 300 tattoo artists throughout the entirety of Japan.
  There are even current political repercussions for tattoos in Japan; in 2012, the then-mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto, started a campaign to rid companies of their employees with tattoos, with the aim of employees either removing their tattoos if in an obvious place, or tattooed employees finding work elsewhere. This campaign was largely well-received by the public, with many large companies expressing support for the plan.
  Modern tattoos in Japan are done mostly in a similar manner to Western tattooing. Unlike traditional irezumi, where the design is mostly left up to the artist, customers bring in a design of their choice or can decide on what they would like at the shop. Many Japanese artists are well-versed in multiple styles besides traditional Japanese tattoos, giving customers the ability to select from a wide assortment of options. 
  Modern tattoos are also done via an electric tattoo machine, in which the ink can be inserted into the machine, or the needle tip can be dipped into ink for application. Japanese artists are widely recognised for the quality of their work, despite the relative expense of irezumi tattoos, and are highly sought-after.
  Despite the majority of modern tattooing being done by needle and machine, irezumi is also practiced with traditional tools, though tattoo artists trained in this style can be difficult to find,; unlike most Western-style tattoo artists in Japan, the majority of traditional irezumi artists are not located in the Tokyo area. Also unlike Western tattooing is the high expense of the technique, as well as the higher proportion of time required to complete one piece and the higher level of pain involved. A typical traditional body suit, covering the arms, back, thighs and chest, with a space left down the centre of he torso, can take up to five years of weekly visits to complete, and cost in excess of US$30,000. The process is also more formal than Western tattooing, with the artist having a greater level of control over the finished design.
caption: Tattooed Yakuza gangsters
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