Japanese Style (Traditional)

Japanese Style (The Traditional un-westernized Edo style) of tattooing.

I have loved the Japanese style since age 11 (1974) when I first saw Japanese bodysuits in person. Spying a moment unintended for my eyes I was mesmerized by it and I still am… I put this page together back in 2009 for those that have an interest in the true classic / wabori Japanese tattoo style (Wabori means done in the original / old style).

Many people have mentioned how helpful this info has been so please give it a read, truly hope you enjoy it.

Indeed, the history of tattooing in Japan has gone through significant changes. With the westernization of Japan in the 1870s, the shogunate began to restrict tattooing on the population due to the concerns of tattooed people being perceived as savage & uncivilized by Westerners. This resulted in a period from 1879 to 1948 when tattooing was illegal in Japan. The Japanese authorities primarily targeted the tattooer rather than individuals with tattoos. This created a complex situation where having a tattoo was not necessarily illegal, but providing tattoo services was.

However, as time passed, perceptions towards tattoos have ebbed & flowed, today it is more widely accepted in Japan than it has been in a half century (though my understanding is “outside Tokyo” it is still not as accepted). The cultural significance of traditional Japanese tattoos has been recognized, and many people now appreciate tattoos as forms of personal expression, art & decoration of one’s own temple.

It is a fascinating thing, the evolution of tattooing, particularly in the Western context. It’s true that the full-sized “pictorial” tattoo has its origins in Japan (meaning paintings and posters imagery being tattooed large on a full back. In the late 1800s, Western pictorial tattoos underwent a transformation, being smaller as to be applied quickly & much more affordable novelties than the full sized Japanese tattoo.

The invention / refinement & the patent for an electric tattoo machine by Thomas Edison in the late 1800s played a significant role in making tattoos more accessible and quickly applied. Western tattooers of the late 1800s & early 1900s started working at traveling carnivals, world fairs, circuses, and other such venues, offered designs that could be applied swiftly using portable tattoo carts. These Western tattoos, many being designed to mimic sailor designs and small versions of the large full size Japanese tattoo (previously only obtained by the rich, well-traveled, royal and other famous people that had received Japanese tattoos in the late 1800s) but smaller & at a more affordable price.

As a result, smaller tattoos ranging from 1 to 5 inches in size becoming the normal western tattoo. This trend persisted from the early 1900s until the 1970s. However, during the 1970s, tattooers like Cliff Raven, Sailor Jerry, Phil Sims, Ed Hardy, John the Dutchman, Spider Webb, and the like began seeking a deeper understanding of the full size Japanese tattoo tradition and its origins. These tattooers traveled to Japan, studying, trading and learning from Japanese master tattooers, which led to a resurgence and appreciation of the traditional “full-size” Japanese style.

Today, we have come full circle, with a blend of Western and Japanese tattooing styles being embraced and celebrated by tattoo enthusiasts worldwide including Japan itself.

The un-westernized Edo style (Wabori style) of tattooing is indeed a remarkable and enduring tradition. Originating during the late Edo period in Japan, this styles imagery and size has remained relatively unchanged for nearly 200 years. Japanese tattoo artists directly draw inspiration from the originator "Kuniyoshi" himself, his ukiyo-e, a popular form of art & poster from the mid-1800s, and continue to follow the same inspiration to this day.

In the Edo style, Kuniyoshi’s is paramount, his is the first tattoo oriented design guide, the close-up vertical imagery that he designed, many to be specifically to fit on the body well.

The ORIGINAL tattoo oriented artist, the true first designer of tattoos of this style, Utagawa Kuniyoshi is the first, also simply known as “Kuniyoshi,” he is the originator. His work has left a significant impact and continues to inspire tattoo enthusiasts.

Yes Kuniyoshi was first inspired by his teacher Hokusai, whom did five tattooed Warior ukiyo-e designs, but it is Kuniyoshi who started the tattoo movement in Edo Japan 1820s. Other renowned artists are “Kunisada,” “Ekin,” and “Kyosai” have also contributed to the rich heritage of the Edo tattoo style art.

The dedication to preserving and continuing this tradition has earned it a special place among tattoo aficionados, making it a favorite choice for many who appreciate the cultural and historical significance of Japanese tattoo art.

• Classic Wabori Style -

Absolutely, in the “traditional” style of Japanese tattooing, there is an emphasis on maintaining the tradition in style and themes that were established in the 1800s. Referencing and using the classic ukiyo-e designs that were created 125-200 years ago is considered the proper way to approach classic Japanese tattooing.

Many master tattooers believe Kuniyoshi specifically designed his ukiyo-e prints to be easily adapted into tattoos, as such preserving the original imagery without significant changes or modernizations is a key aspect of the classic style.

While the main image or imagery style remains directly referenced to the original art style of the mid-1800s, the backgrounding of the tattoo is where modernization has changed and evolved with the master tattooers hand over time. Each tattooer brings their own unique style and personal signature in the backgrounding, resulting in variations between different artists.

The backgrounding is where tattooers can showcase their own individual creativity and differentiate their work while still staying true to the traditional tattoo.

This blend of timeless imagery and individual artistic backgrounds has been a defining characteristic of wabori Japanese tattooing since its inception, allowing for a harmonious balance between tradition and personal expression.

• Be familiar with these the original Edo era tattoo designing artists -

Kuniyoshi • Kunisada • Kyōsai • Eishun • Yoshitoshi & Kunichika.

Also check out:

• Hirose Kinzo (Ekin) • Utagawa Yoshifuji • Soga Shohaku • Yoshikazu • Hokui • Toyokuni I • Iijima Koga • Kunitora • Shunei • Shuntei • Utamaro • Watanabe Kazan • Kunimaru • Chikanobu • Yoshiiku • Oniwaka-maru • Yoshitora • Hokui • Shunsho II.

•WHO was wearing horimono during Edo era Japan?:

Considering the multitude of strong opinions and varying historical accounts, it can be intriguing and even amusing to explore the different theories surrounding tattooed individuals in Japan during the 1800s.

The question of who were the originals, who wore the tattoos in Japan during the 1800s?

I myself believe (through my decades of study) that all of them, all sorts of people in Edo were heavily tattooed, but the westerners and art historians of past have had a separatist attitude.

Different sources provide different perspectives, leading to multiple theories about the demographics of Japanese tattooed individuals during that time. It’s important to note that the following points reflect these different views-

• Some argue that it was primarily the lower working classes, who wanted to enhance their attractiveness and appeal to their peers, friends, and romantic partners.

• Others suggest that it was predominantly the firemen and dock workers who wore tattoos.

• There are claims that only the wealthy individuals, who were prohibited by law from flaunting their wealth, opted for expensive hidden tattoos under their clothing.

• Some propose that it was limited to gambling house workers and their overseers.

• And yet another perspective asserts that it was mainly criminals who wore tattoos to cover their punishment marks and conceal their past.

It is worth noting that there were indeed different types of patrons who sought tattoos during the late Edo period (1820-1870). It was a time when being heavily tattooed with full-sized Japanese imagery was quite common and popular, particularly in the Edo area (Tokyo area) of Japan. Estimates suggest that anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 individual Japanese people "per decade" received such tattoos.

During the late 1820s to the 1890s, the nexus of this style, the most common age range for acquiring a tattoo in Japan was between 14 to 30 years old. The completion of a tattoo could take anywhere from 2 to 10 years, depending on extent of skin coverage, if background is included and how frequently the patron visited the tattoo artist (horishi).

This period spanning 70 years was not a passing fad in Japan; it was a normal and integral part of Japanese society. Tattooing held significant cultural and heritage value, much like it did in many American Indian tribes or the many worldwide island cultures -Being tattooed has been considered a customary aspect of normal life until the late 1800s when the influences of so-called enlightened civilization jumped into the Japanese personal life. The Christianization and Westernization began to shape this very short lived modern world (this one century has changed all of normal aspects of all of tattoo styles worldwide).

The strong connection between pictorial tattooing and Japanese heritage and culture highlights its enduring significance and the role it played in the lives of many individuals during that late Edo era.

During the end of the 19th century (late 1800's) Japanese tattooing was very popular with new-world visitors - it became something likened to a fad of the western political and wealthy uppers, the rich & the royal to be tattoo'd by Edo tattoo horishi, it was all the rage for 30 / 35 years.

Some examples of the well known westerners that sought Japanese tattooing back in the day were England's “Duke of York” (whom later became King George V). King George V had a large dragon tattooed on his fore-arm done by the horishi “Horicho1”. Also his brother the Duke of Clarence was heavily tattooed by Japanese horishi.

The Duke of York & the Duke of Clarence commissioned the horishi Horicho1 to travel by ship to Europe and New England, first on a two year venture in Europe and England and then to the America's new England area.

This led to Horicho1 being on a multi-year commission from the Duke of Clarence, traveling to the Dukes high clout, wealthy & political friends, a network of friendship & good-will gifted from him. “Horicho1” even tattooed "the Czarevitch of Russia” ... Here is a handful of others whom received Japanese tattooing:

"Nicolas II", "Frederick VIII" of Denmark, "Duke Alfred" of Edinburgh and Coburg, "Queen Olga" of Greece, and "the princesses de Leon and Sagan"... that’s just to name a few!

Also many Japanese tattooers advertised in European travel guides, books and brochures so that they would be found by traveling westerners.