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How the Japanese Government Destroyed an Entire Art Form — Horimono (7 photos)

28 January 2025
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Horimono is a full-body tattoo with a single, highly artistic, unified design that starts on the back and continues down the legs, shoulders, and chest.





Sometimes this type of tattoo is referred to as tebori, which translates as "hand-carved." Because they are done the old-fashioned way with needles that are attached to traditional wooden tools, and ink is also used only according to the old recipe.

And this tattoo is drawn in the style of traditional Japanese woodblock prints, ukiyo-e. That is, a person in himself is like a canvas of an ancient master. And such glorious things, of course, were not originally part of the life of criminals.



Horimono owners even have their own secret society and gatherings, they work as cooks, builders, whoever

Previously, horimono was applied to themselves by Japanese firefighters and workers in dangerous jobs. They believed that scenes from Japanese folk tales and Buddhist mantras protect themselves from dangers at work. That is, the tattoo covers the entire body and works as a "cloak from adversity".

But why did horimono become a sign of a bad person?

Everyone knows that tattoos are still viewed negatively in Japan. Of course, because the yakuza still exist. And yes, they still get tattoos.

And because two types of tattoos have become mixed up in the minds of the average person – horimono and irezumi.



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In the 60s, there was a flood of movies where the yakuza had flashy tattoos, and people remembered en masse that tattoos were yakuza

Irezumi tattoos were forced into the 1700s as a punishment for criminals. Back then, simple crosses or lines were used on the arms or forehead. This was how criminals were marked so that everyone could see them.

On the other hand, horimono are bright, colorful designs that use the entire body as a canvas. They are never isolated designs, like the criminal irezumi or the traditional Western "who knows what, who goes to the forest, who gets firewood" tattoos of today.



A restored photo of a Japanese lumberjack with a protective tattoo

Horimono often depict gods or characters that embody the ideals that people believe in. They draw on themselves who they want to be like.

But when the government began to fight crime clans in the 1800s, it banned all tattoos, regardless of whether they were good or bad. So it turns out that having a tattoo, even a good protective one, instantly became a stigma for you.



The artist took a fairy tale plot as a basis

Not the most far-sighted decision, but apparently the situation was hopeless.

Anyone who is into tattoo types today will, of course, laugh right away if you call a person with a horimono a yakuza. After all, he sees the difference, but the average person does not. And how many of them are there who understand? Quite a few.



Can you imagine HOW MUCH that costs

The funniest thing is:

That the yakuza can't afford to wear real horimono, no matter how much they brag. A beginner yakuza is usually not rich when he gets a tattoo. And an artistic tattoo on the whole body costs tens of thousands of dollars. Only the top boss can afford it, but by that time he usually already has another tattoo.



This is a miner, his work is very dangerous, and he has carps on his hands - stubbornness and fortitude

And to this day, the ancient art of protective tattoos, which really does look like a beautiful ukiyo-e engraving, remains incomprehensible even to half of the Japanese. This is who needs cultural education!


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