What to Look For in a Japanese Tattoo
There are many concepts that you need to keep in consideration when you decide to get some Japanese tattoos. The main concepts to undergo when searching for a tattoo is what to look for in an artist. There are many individuals who are professionally trained and have great skills. However, there are still artist who do not live up to par.
The several concepts that you need to utilize to become comfortable and feel safe within the studio, is to look for cleanliness on the equipment, the quality of work is excellent, and the licensing is up to standards. Make sure that you never settle for an artist and that you are unaware of the environment.
When picking a tattoo studio, address and other information will be needed to make sure that you get the correct studio and treatment. Once you check the local surroundings then you should be able to get to where you need to go. Researching your artist and studio may seem like a lot of work but it will be best for you and your health. Most times the way the studios look will suggest the character of the artists and the studio.
There are times when an individual will refrain from noticing the unkempt studio because they are unaware. However, cleanliness is the most essential part when searching for a studio. Always check the environment of the studio and ensure that the inks being utilized are clean and not being reused. The hygiene of the artist can tell a story of its own also.
Making sure the equipment inside the place is clean also. Needles need to placed directly in your eye sight and be cleaned correctly. Any equipment that needs to be used on your body make sure that they are clean and up to regulations and codes. Completing all these tasks will ensure your safety and health.
Once you notice the equipment and they seem up to expectations make sure that regulations are being followed. A great tattoo artist will meet any requirements that you place in front of them. They are meticulous about the quality that they will bring to the table. Remember to notice their portfolio full of Japanese tattoos to ensure that they can actually complete the job.
After the work of the artist has been determined you will know if their work is great and whether to invest your time, money, and health into the tat. If there were flaws within the artwork you will notice them based upon the squiggly lines and less than brilliant color. Your decision should be fully formed and you should feel comfortable with it.
Having these five points in mind will help you find the perfect artist to create the perfect Japanese tattoo. Making sure that you utilize all of these will be great for your health.
Get the low down on what to look for in Japanese tattoos now in our article on the art of Japanese tattoo designs
Tattoos | Comment (0)Japanese Tattoos With The Japanese Dragon
The Japanese dragon has always been a mysterious symbol. It’s sinuous flow and various forms have helped it to become one of the most recognizable designs in Japanese tattoos. You could also be able to utilize the power of the ryu in your own creations to symbolize something very important or mystical.
Rooted in History
There are actually three incarnations of the dragon: The tatsu, the ryu and the doragon. The tatsu is the most traditional among the three, being more akin to water serpents and are spirits which personify rivers and other similar bodies of water. The most famous of these dragons is the Orochi, the eight headed and eight tailed dragon which was slain to gain the Kusanagi, or the Imperial Sword of State.
The ryu is the most popular one, since the tatsu do not really have physical form. It is akin to the Chinese dragon, only with three fingers instead of five. This is actually a source of friendly rivalry between Asian countries, with the number of toes determining the nationality of the dragon. The naga is the serpent dragon of Indian folklore, as adapted in Japan and the doragon is the Western civilization’s conception of a dragon (that is, with wings).
Depicting the Forces of Nature
Japan’s dragons symbolize water. This is the main peculiarity between them and the other Asian dragons. Thus, all dragon depictions are fluid and sinuous. Even the scales lend credence to this effect. They are also commonly colored in gold, white or blue, emphasizing the maritime heritage. This is particularly emphasized by the fact that the Japanese believe that the sea is ruled by four dragons, one in each cardinal direction, causing the winds and currents of the sea.
Dragons also symbolize power and majesty. Being one of the four celestial gods, as the seiryu, the dragon is worshipped, revered and feared. This is due to it being calm and placid at first, but when provoked, becomes a deadly catastrophe for anyone who dares. They are also symbols of courage and of fertility. Dragons are also seen as a farmer’s best friend.
A Unique Patrimony
Japanese tattoos share their practice with Western methods. Both use piercing and dyes to create the desired effect. There are also more traditional methods of placing tattoos called Irezumi. While most commonly associated with the yakuza, it’s now gaining prominence as an art form by itself.
Learn all there is to know about Japanese tattoos specifically the Japanese Dragon Motif in our overview of the best Japanese tattoo designs. This article, Japanese Tattoos With The Japanese Dragon is released under a creative commons attribution license.
Tattoos | Comment (0)The Art Of Japanese Tattoo Designs
The Japanese are not new to the art of tattooing as it has been practiced for centuries initially by the Ainu people and can be dated back to over 5000BC. Body art was especially popular during the Edo period of Japanese history at which time body art was used by the prostitutes, firemen and laborers. Japanese tattoo designs get there authenticity from ancient wood-cut art and the beautiful watercolor and landscape art.
The exquisite rendition of culture and history through tattoo design is both intricate and detailed and for this reason may be expensive. Traditional Japanese tattoo design is called horimono which means “carving” or irezumi which means “insert ink”. Body art was only accepted by the government in the middle of the twentieth century.
Artists make use of dazzling colourful illustrations which include cultural and historical images such as animals including the koi or carp (both fish symbolic of perseverance), flowers, legendary symbols of demons and dragons. Large, bold and colourful drawings are mainly put on the back, shoulder or arm of a person as these places may be covered under clothing and not cause a problem in social situations such as work.
In old times one of the methods to punish criminals was to tattoo them so that they would be branded and shamed, this was called bokukei or bokkei and came to and end in 1870 by the Japanese Emperor’s new Meiji government. Japanese mafia or yakuza used tattoo’s as well and these factors have left a bad connotation for most Japanese people today. Among the youth the designs are considered fashionable.
There are a number of dragon designs to choose from which symbolize the wood element and male forces, they are listed as Asian and west dragon tattoos as the western culture has had and influence on designs over the years and the westerners also like the idea of samurai’s or warriors and the stories of Asian history and culture.
Kanji is very popular form of calligraphy which refers to characters that translate into various things such as love, life or the name of somebody such as “Joy”. The Phoenix is a popular design of a bird that symbolizes justice and fidelity she represents the element of fire and female forces. Clouds, waves and water are often in the background.
Japanese culture is rich in respect for life and nature which is also seen in their tattooing. Japan hold frequent events and expo’s in honour of tattoo art to enable the public to use and enjoy Japanese heritage that is filled with rich fantasy in symbolism.
Looking to find the best deal on Japanese Tattoos, then visit www.japaneseinked.com to find the best advice on www.blog.japaneseinked.com for you.. This article, The Art Of Japanese Tattoo Designs is available for free reprint.
Tattoos | Comment (0)Japanese Symbol for Strength – A Popular Tattoo Design
Finding a Japanese character for a tattoo design can be a hard choice. There are countless characters to select from, it is worth taking the time to look into and understand all of the choices. Unlike English, where there are a limited number of letters in the alphabet, the Japanese alphabets offer a vast number of symbols to pick from. There are a number of tattoo designs that are always seem to be in style. One of these is the Japanese symbol for strength. This article will tell you more about this Japanese character and popular Japanese tattoo symbol.
Kanji is the preferred way to write strength in Japanese as a tattoo symbol. If you have not learned Japanese, you may not be aware that there are three Japanese alphabets. These are called hiragana, katakana and kanji.
Although it is possible to write the word Strength in all of the alphabets, most people will want to write it in Kanji. Kanji is usually used for concepts and Katakana is usually used for Names and foreign words. Kanji is the word in Japanese that is used to refer to chinese characters. These characters were originally simplified from characters brought to Japan from China.
To write the Japanese character for strength, it only needs two strokes. Some characters can be much more complicated and made up of numerous strokes, so the symbol for strength is one of the most simple characters to learn and draw. When you see it, it may remind you of an arm muscle bulging with strength. ‘Chikara’ is the Japanese word for strength. It is pronounced Chi Ka Ra.
Some of the other Japanese symbols that are always popular for tattoos are also linked to the family theme These include father, mother, daughter, sister and brother. If you have looked at all of the Japanese symbols related to family and still can’t choose, then you could always go for a universally popular character, the symbol for Love. In Japanese the word for Love is ‘ai’ and is only one character of 13 strokes, which makes it a very good choice if you are looking for a symbol with a strong meaning in one character.
Check out the images of Japanese tattoo symbols at my site where there are lots of tattoo designs and symbols. Click Here To Go There Now: http://www.learn-hiragana-katakana.com
Tattoos | Comment (0)Japanese Tattoos – How To Avoid A Big Mistake
A frequent worry faced by all customers of tattoo artists getting Japanese tattoos is what they are going to get is not what they asked for. Yes, it happens often that the Japanese meaning of the kanji symbols in the tattoo has a completely different meaning from what one had asked their tattoo artist for in English. There are a number of reasons. Let’s see why these mistakes happen and ways to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
The prime reason for this is Japanese tattoo artist does not have the language ability to understand what you are asking for or what it should be in Japanese. There are many tattoo artists who are proficient in tattooing but not in kanji stokes. They may not be able to understand the exact meaning of your English words and have translated it into a different kanji.
There are also times where the strokes go wrong in representing them in kanji which results in a completely different meaning. We have also heard of some cases where the tattoo artist acts unprofessionally, and used the wrong kanji symbols on their clients because they didn’t like their clients attitude towards Japanese culture or tattoos.
Whatever the reasons are, how reasonable they are, none of us would be willing for such mistakes to sit permanently on our body forever. There are several ways we could avoid being the victim of such mistakes. After all we know that prevention is always better than the cure. The first thing we should do is to research a lot about the kanji symbols and strokes. The internet is the best first hand easily accessible source for such information. The second tip would be to approach a professional language translator.
Though it costs a lot, it saves your time and money that you spend after you understand it did not communicate the meaning you wanted it to mean. Approaching some professional in person may be out of budget for some of us, since we are planning to already spend so much on Japanese tattoo kanji symbols. If you do not have a budget to hire a professional interpreter, then it is good to approach some professors or students from universities which provide international language courses. If you have a friend or colleague who is a native Japanese speaker, you could even approach them to confirm the meaning of the kanji before getting it on your body as a permanent tattoo. Knowing the ways to avoid the common Japanese tattoo kanji mistakes, we could save time, money, and energy.
Browse the images of Japanese tattoo symbols at my site where there are pages of tattoo designs and symbols. Click Here To Go There Now: http://www.learn-hiragana-katakana.com
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