Widely Popular Japanese Tattoo Designs

It’s not only the style of tattoo that differs so much from many other cultural examples, but the subjects of those designs that makes Japanese tattoo so sought after around the world. Images that continually show up in Japanese designs are explained in more detail below.
Kanji
Kanji is the calligraphy style letter writing method used by the Japanese. It’s a wildly popular choice among those seeking Japanese style tattoo designs. By using Kanji, you can easily create and display nearly any message you want. Some popular Kanji characters translate into words like: Happiness, Wealth, Love, Lovers, Laughter, Sadness, Beautiful, Duty and Loyalty.
However, it should go without saying that anytime you decide upon a tattoo that is based on a foreign language, you should be sure to spend ample time researching the authenticity of each symbols’ meaning. It could be rather embarrassing to learn that the Kanji tattoo you thought meant “mother” in fact meant something far worse, like rat or prostitute!
Inspired by Life
The Japanese culture as a whole has a deep respect and reverence for nature and life. Taking time for tasks such as meditation, calm walks, and admiring the cherry blossoms as they fall is expected, if not exactly required. Therefore, much of their art and creativity has been inspired by their local flora and fauna.
Popular Animals
Popular animal subjects in Japanese tattoo designs come from all sorts of categories. They often portray the animals in the Chinese horoscope: the dog, the rat, the rooster, the dragon, the tiger, the goat, the horse, the pig, the ox, the monkey and the snake. In addition to these creatures, Chinese dragons, gibbons, spiders, fish (like the very popular koi fish); birds and foxes are commonly featured Japanese pictures. If you’re looking to make a truly breathtaking design, consider the octopus, a bonsai tree, or cherry blossoms.
And don’t disregard the supreme animals, humans. More than in most other cultures, human subjects abound in the Japanese art. Masked people, warriors, ladies, young girls, geisha, samurai, and the ancient gods and goddesses make popular appearances in Japanese designs.
Architecture and Landscape
The incredibly unique architecture of Japan makes it a likely candidate for an art inspired tattoo. Whether featuring the houses, temples, retreats, statues of the Japanese people, the result is still breathtaking. Others gain more inspiration from the gentle rolling hills, dotted with cherry trees in full bloom, with mountains towering in the background. These larger scale pictures may need a larger canvas, and work well for full back (or even full body) ink. But whatever inspires you, it abounds in Japan.
Small flowers, or large intricate samurai warriors, Japanese style tattoos work for anyone, almost anywhere. A koi lazily swimming across a hip, an emerald serpent slithering up a calf, a ring of cherry blossoms joined together in an ankle- or armband or a lady and samurai embracing on your back, as wonderful as the art of horimono is, you may find yourself enticed into wearing them all as part of your personal tattoo gallery!



Show me more Japanese Tattoo Designs

apanese tattoo is called irezumi or horimono in Japanese. In Japan, tattoo is usually considered to be a symbol of a yakuza (Japanese mafia) and tends to be perceived negatively by people. For example, many public bath facilities in Japan inhibit customers who have tattoos from entering. Traditional Japanese tattoo covers arms, shoulders, and the back. In recent years, it's becoming popular for Japanese young people to get contemporary tattoos. Tattoo events are often held in big cities, and there are many Japanese tattoo shops in Japan. It's good to contact them before you visit.