Irezumi

Irezumi () are the traditional Japanese tattoos, typically associated with the members of the Yakuza, appearing throughout the Like a Dragon series, most often in the form of a back tattoo or a bodysuit (, Munewari Sōshinbori). 
Irezumi are applied by hand, using wooden handles and metal needles attached via silk thread. It is a painful and time-consuming process, practiced by a limited number of specialists known as horishi. The only known horishi in the series are Utabori (based in Kamurocho) and Kazahori (based in Sotenbori) with his two apprentices Akina and Satoshi.
==Main Series==
===Yakuza===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Kazuma Kiryu 	Kiryu's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. It depicts a white, gray, black, and red grasping a pearl, symbolizing power, wisdom, protection, and balance in Japanese culture. The pearl contains the Sanskrit character for the year of the monkey, relating to Kiryu's Chinese zodiac year (1968). Ferocious and brave protectors, dragons are typically associated with hot-tempered individuals, though Kiryu's silver-colored dragon also suggests purity of heart. During the events of Yakuza 0, only the outlines of the tattoo are present, but it has been seen in its completed state since then. The colors of red, white, gray, and black mirror the colors of Kiryu's iconic outfit. Utabori is the tattoo artist who designed Kiryu's dragon, and his signature () is displayed on the left-hand side of the design.	
 	Akira Nishikiyama	Nishikiyama's tattoo depicts a red koi swimming upwards and was tattooed by Utabori. The koi is red with white fins and red scales with white edges. The koi is surrounded by gray waves. His tattoo represents his ambition to climb the ranks of the Tojo Clan, as in Japanese and Chinese mythology, the Koi must swim upstream the Yellow River through the dragon's gate of Longmen to turn into a dragon. 	
 	Yumi Sawamura 	Yumi's tattoo is placed on the left side of her chest. It depicts a flower known as the "queen of the night," symbolizing Yumi's wish to see Kiryu again even if only for one more night. Her tattoo was inked by Utabori and his signature is displayed on it. 	
 	Futoshi Shimano 	In Japanese culture, there is a saying known as "ryuko aiutsu." The meaning is that the tiger has the strength to rival a dragon. Shimano's tattoo features a roaring tiger which fits his position as a strong force that often opposes Kiryu. His tattoo goes halfway down his arms, on his chest, and over his back. His tattoo also features cherry blossom flowers scattered across it. 	
===Yakuza 2===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Goro Majima 	Majima's tattoo covers his biceps and upper chest, stretching from his neck to the back of his thighs. It consists of a floral motif (similar to Shimano's), with a on his back and twin snakes wrapped around his arms and chest. The Hannya mask has commonly been used to depict women who have turned into demons as a result of being consumed by sorrow, envy, or rage. Snakes are often associated with rebirth and transformation, due to their tendency to shed their skin. 	
 	Daigo Dojima	Daigo's tattoo depicts Fudo Myoo, also known as Acala, defender of the Buddhist faith. His name means “Immovable Wisdom King,” sitting upon a rock throne. The sword represents knowledge and power, while Fudo Myoo binds evil with the rope in his left hand. Fudo Myoo is surrounded by flames, which represent cleansing. In Esoteric Buddhism, there are cleansing fire purification ceremonies to destroy negative energy during which this deity is evoked. The dragon that surrounds the sword is evocative of Kiryu's guidance for Daigo over the years.	
 	Ryuji Goda 	Ryuji's back tattoo is the legendary golden dragon, Huang Long, that lords over the four gods of the cardinal directions, representing Ryuji's ambition to rule over all of Japan's criminal underworld, unsatisfied with just Kansai, a single piece of said world. Ryuji's tattoo was started by Kazahori in 1996 and later finished by his apprentice Akina. 	
===Yakuza 3===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Rikiya Shimabukuro	Rikiya's tattoo depicts a viper - specifically the , a pit viper native to the Ryukyu Islands - the eye of which remains unfinished until Kiryu brings him to have it completed by Utabori. 	
 	Shigeru Nakahara 	Nakahara has a tattoo of shisa on his back. A shisa is a Ryukyu variant of the Chinese , and is said to bring good fortune to households and businesses and drive away evil spirits. This represents Nakahara's protectiveness of Saki, his adopted daughter. 	
 	Tsuyoshi Kanda 	Kanda's tattoo is the image of a Tennyo on the back and ecstatic faces, each tied with a rope, on the arms; three on the left, and four on the right. The rope colors are limited to green, violet, and turquoise. The faces are depicted as "Okame," the goddess of mirth that is said to bring good fortune to any man that she marries. The entire background is surrounded by mountain-ash leaves. In Kanda's case, this represents Kanda's lustful nature. 	
 	Yoshitaka Mine 	Mine's tattoo covers most of his back and ends at his thighs. It depicts a , a mythical creature said to appear only in the presence of a benevolent leader and become ferociously protective if a pure person is threatened by a malicious one, as befits his view of himself in relation to Daigo. Like the word kirin-ji (, lit. "child prodigy"), the tattoo is intended to evoke the image of a genius."A Deeper Understanding of Ryu Ga Gotoku: Reference Room." Ryu Ga Gotoku 10th Anniversary Book, Kadokawa, 2015, p. 97.http://fftranslations.atspace.co.uk/ (March 4, 2016) - All of Horitomo's Ryu Ga Gotoku work - Horitomo: This is a design which, like the word "kirin-ji" (child prodigy), calls to mind the image of a genius. The common image of a kirin is actually one where it has the face of a dragon, and with the way that it's leaping upwards, this composition would make it look like Kiryu's tattoo. I looked through old materials and, though it isn't particularly popular, I drew a kirin with a face more like that of a deer.	
===Yakuza 4===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Taiga Saejima 	Saejima's tattoo features a roaring tiger surrounded by bamboo grass. This is primarily representative of his stark opposite traits to Kiryu and being similarly skilled in battle; in Buddhism, the tiger and dragon are said to be equal to each other, representing different symbols of power. The tiger is more headstrong and relentless, while the dragon is more patient and wise. Their polar opposite personalities and fighting styles shine throughout the series and as they confront each other, with Saejima powering through nearly every opposing attack and Kiryu always waiting for the right moment to strike. The grass symbolizes his place in the Sasai Family, as the kanji for bamboo grass () is used in Sasai ().	
 	Daisaku Minami	Minami has a combination of a traditional Japanese irezumi and several Western-style tattoos. It consists of a snake wrapped around a skull on his back, a knife piercing a skull above the face of a woman on his left arm, and a black panther on his right arm. He also has more tattoos on his front torso, including two roses on the left and right of his chest, and the English word HONOR on his abdomen. 	
===Yakuza 5===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Masaru Watase	Watase's tattoo covers his biceps, upper chest, and stretches from his neck to his lower back. It depicts the on his back, a on his left arm, and a cakraratna wheel on his right arm. This is a portrayal of a battle between and the Asura King, in which Taishakuten uses the vajra and the cakraratna to attack the Asura King. 	
 	Naoki Katsuya	Katsuya has the tattoo of a red-crowned crane flying above a cloud. While it is not a common tattoo, the crane itself symbolizes grace, wisdom, peace and love of life, representative of Katsuya's personal qualities. 	
 	Masato Aizawa	Aizawa's back tattoo depicts a koi, which, according to legends, can ascend into a dragon, symbolizing Aizawa's ulterior motive to surpass Kiryu. The only difference is Aizawa's koi is a dark shade of blue, yellow and green, and is more bulky. The darker colors reflect Aizawa's life in the shadows, whereas the bulky appearance matches Aizawa's physique.	
===Yakuza 0===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Daisaku Kuze 	Kuze's tattoo depicts , the judge and ruler of Hell on his back, while the guardians of Hell, Gozu (Ox-Head) and Mezu (Horse-Face) adorn his left and right upper arms respectively. This may reference how Kuze keeps fighting and judging Kiryu, and also how Kuze is the only obstacle in Kiryu's path that keeps him in the hell of the yakuza. Enma's left little finger is partially covered, foreshadowing Kuze's yubitsume after his first fight with Kiryu. On the bottom left, there is a signature 彫巴 (Horitomo). 	
 	Hiroki Awano 	Awano's tattoo depicts Momotaro, the main character from a popular Japanese folk tale where Momotaro travels to an island of demons that are threatening his village and slays them. This is likely a reference to how he would eventually clash with Majima, who has a demon motif and a Hannya tattoo. Some versions of the story see Momotaro become lazy and embrace an easy life of leisure rather than carrying out his duties to others. This is reflected in Awano's story - at one point, he was among the strongest in the Dojima Family, but allowed his strength to wither over time, as he became attracted to the idea of decadent living. 	
 	Keiji Shibusawa	Shibusawa's tattoo depicts a green , or "Seiryu", one of the four Chinese celestial beings and the protector of eastern Japan. It is shown to be flying downward as a bringer of wealth and prosperity to the earth, befitting of Shibusawa overseeing the Dojima Family's financial matters and bringing in large amounts of money for his boss. Unlike Kiryu's dragon tattoo, the Seiryu does not appear clutching a pearl — which represents its authority and control of water — indicating that it has not yet found one. This reflects Shibusawa's desire for the same glory, respect and authority that Kiryu would later go on to attain. Furthermore, the dragon is facing right, as opposed to Kiryu's facing left, thus reflecting the inevitable clash between the two.	
===Yakuza 6===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Tsuneo Iwami	Tsuneo bares a tattoo of , or "hakutaku," a chimerical beast that originates in ancient Chinese mythology. While not much is relatively known about them, in Japanese mythology, a hakutaku is described as a being capable of predicting calamities, as well as devouring bad dreams and ill experiences. In Iwami's case, it's the reverse. He is directly causing calamities, devouring the dreams of others to empower himself, and inflicting ill experiences onto them.	
===Yakuza: Like a Dragon===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Ichiban Kasuga	Kasuga's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. It depicts a dragonfish (, ryūgyo), the in-between state of the koi in the legend of a koi that swims up to the top of a waterfall and is rewarded for its tenacity by being transformed into a dragon. The tattoo represents the strength and perseverance of the koi as it struggles upstream, as well as a greater destiny that lies ahead, as the koi has not fully finished its transformation into a dragon.In Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, Kasuga's inspiration for the tattoo was Jo Sawashiro, whose tattoo depicts the same creature. The two both hold a strong admiration for Masumi Arakawa and view him as the 'dragon' they aspire to be. Only the outlines of the tattoo are filled in up until Chapter 21, but it is seen in its completed state in the rest of the game.Utabori is the tattoo artist who designed Kasuga's dragonfish, and he incorporated elements from both Kazuma Kiryu and Akira Nishikiyama's tattoos in its design. Utabori did not include his signature in Kasuga's tattoo; it is unknown why.	
 	Yosuke Tendo 	Tendo's tattoo depicts a deep blue , or "Seiryu," with red accents. It is surrounded by fire and water, and is clutching a pearl in one of its claws. The Azure Dragon symbolizes wisdom and patience as virtues of strength. The fire and water accompanying the Seiryu are a combination unique to his tattoo, representing action and flexibility respectively. The creature appears to have carp fins along its body, indicating that it was a koi that has recently transformed into a dragon. The pearl takes the shape of a dark gray swirl, the same color as the water. This could indicate the glory Tendo seeks will ultimately prove for nothing. 	
 	Jo Sawashiro 	Jo Sawashiro never removes his shirt in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, exclusively doing so in Online.Sawashiro's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. It depicts a grinning dragonfish (, ryūgyo) swimming up a waterfall. It is predominantly white with black-and-white fins and scales, golden eyes, teeth, and horns, and a red underbelly. A dragonfish is the in-between state of the koi in the legend of a koi that swims up to the top of a waterfall and is rewarded for its tenacity by being transformed into a dragon. The tattoo represents his devotion to Masumi Arakawa, who he views as the 'dragon' he aspires to live up to. 	
===Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth===
Design	Owner 	Description	Description
 	Masataka Ebina	TBA 	
==Spin-off Titles==
===Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name===
Design	Owner 	Description 	Description
 	Kosei Shishido	Shishido's tattoo covers his back, his chest, and his arms down to his wrists. It depicts a shishi, a mythical guardian lion, leaping upwards on a background of clouds and waves and surrounded by red peonies with green leaves. The shishi has greenish-gray fur with white spots, a yellow belly, a curly orange mane and tail, and tufts of fur of a similar texture on the tops of its paws, the backs of its legs, its shoulders, and its flanks. Its eyes, teeth, and claws are a stark white with red accents lining its eyes, nostrils, mouth, and claws. The first two kanji in the name he was given by Watase, (shishi), mean lion. Lions and peonies, considered the king of beasts and the king of flowers respectively, have a long history of being associated with each other in East Asian cultures. Together, they represent the balance of power and delicate beauty as well as majesty, wealth, and masculinity. The lion represents Shishido's strength, pride, and grand aspirations, while the peonies represent his vulnerability and the fleeting nature of his aspirations. One origin for the association between lions and peonies states the lion has no enemies other than the parasite that burrows into its flesh, which is killed when it comes into contact with the dew that drips from peonies at night. The peonies are a safe haven to the lion. As the parasite, left unchecked, can bring down the lion that provides for it, the story alludes to both the idea even one person can bring down an organization and the idea of a person who repays a favor with an act of betrayal.